Legislation To Eliminate The Cost Of Asthma Inhalers Signed
Source: Queens Gazette
Governor Hochul signed legislation by Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas and State Senator Gustavo Rivera, A128A/S1804A, which will eliminate deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or any other cost-sharing requirements for asthma inhalers. According to the New York State Department of Health, in New York alone, more than 1.4 million adults have asthma. The issue is prevalent among children as well. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that in 2021, New York State had an estimated 315,000 children with asthma, which was about 8.9% of children in the state.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022, more than 20 million adults and over 4.5 million children were living with asthma. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has found that asthma kills about 10 people every day, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) kills about 390 people every day and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Asthma and COPD also place a strain on our healthcare system. Per the CDC, each year, asthma is responsible for more than 1.7 million emergency department visits and over $50 billion in healthcare costs.
But these realities have done nothing to reduce the cost of asthma inhalers, with the price of each life-saving device being as high as $640 a month in some instances.
González-Rojas, who sits on the Assembly’s Health and Environmental Conservation Committees, introduced the legislation because of its significance to her district. Astoria in Queens County has been infamously known as “asthma alley” for its high rates of hospitalizations due to the condition. The issue disproportionately impacts young people of color.
Rivera represents the northwest Bronx, where almost every census tract has been designated a disadvantaged community by the Climate Justice Working Group. In January 2023, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) released the Asthma Burden in NYC Report that showed the Bronx had a substantially higher asthma mortality rate than other NYC boroughs, as well as the highest pediatric emergency department visit rates among NYC.
Minnesota, Washington, and New Jersey have passed legislation capping the cost of asthma inhalers. The legislation was supported by Community Service Society, Greater New York Hospital Association, NYLAG, and Community Healthcare Network. The signature of the legislation followed a trend of New York State lowering or eliminating the cost of life-saving devices and medicine, including insulin.
“Life-saving devices such as asthma inhalers should not be cost-prohibitive to our state’s residents. This is essential medicine for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. As a health advocate and parent, I am proud that my legislation with Senator Rivera has been signed into law by Governor Hochul and will result in eliminating costs for over one million New Yorkers, including children, who have asthma. As a representative of Astoria, also known as ‘Asthma Alley,’ I am grateful to the many organizations that supported our advocacy in getting this done, including Community Service Society, NYLAG, Community Healthcare Network, and more. It should not be so costly to breathe, and after today it won’t be,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.
