Every September, healthcare providers see a rise in asthma-related hospitalizations. The third week of September is known as Asthma Peak Week; ragweed levels—a common fall pollen allergy—are peaking, mold counts are increasing as leaves start to fall, children are catching respiratory infections as they go back to school, and flu season is just beginning. Proper asthma control is essential to stay healthy and manage symptoms during this month. However, for many, healthcare costs are making it difficult to manage or control their symptoms.    

In New York, asthma impacts more than 1.4 million adults and an estimated 315,000 children, according to the New York State Department of Health and the US Center for Disease Control, respectively as of 2021. The price of asthma inhalers, a lifesaving and sustaining device, has drastically increased over the past decade and can cost an individual up to $645 a month, according to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). At these high prices, some patients are rationing doses or even abandoning their inhalers—which can lead to unnecessary hospitalizations and even preventable deaths. Though with insurance, patients share the cost of an inhaler with their insurance provider through a deductible or copayment—even those with health coverage struggle to afford inhalers.

Asthma rates and asthma-related complications disproportionately affect communities of color and low-income communities in New York. Black New Yorkers are over nine times more likely to visit the Emergency Department (ED) for asthma-related complications than their White counterparts—four times more likely for Hispanic New Yorkers. Asthma-related ED visits are also three times as frequent for individuals in low-income zip codes when compared to those in higher-income zip codes. Asthma is an apparent public health issue affecting those already facing economic and environmental disparities.

Earlier this year, with pressure from the HELP committee and Senator Bernie Sanders, three of the largest producers of inhalers—AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and GlaxoSmithKline—agreed to cap their inhaler products, for both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, at $35 or less per month. This price cap will be available for those on commercial insurance and those uninsured, which will be automatically applied at local pharmacies or accessed with a copay card. However, those enrolled in government insurance programs, like Medicare or Medicaid, are left behind due to federal restrictions.

Luckily, New York legislators, Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas and State Senator Gustavo Rivera, have proposed a bill to remove this financial barrier by eliminating deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing requirements for inhalers and require insurance coverage for inhalers at no cost. González-Rojas introduced this legislation because of its significance to her district, representing communities in Queens, that have high rates of hospitalization due to asthma. Rivera represents the northwest Bronx, a borough with substantially higher asthma mortality rates than other New York City boroughs. We commend both González-Rojas and Rivera for taking these necessary actions in trying to address New York’s asthma crisis.

Minnesota and Illinois, Washington, and New Jersey have passed similar legislation that caps the cost-sharing requirements of inhalers at $25, $35, and $50 per month, respectively. We need New York to step up to the plate to save lives and treat asthma. “This smart bill will ensure that insurance cost-sharing is never a barrier to accessing life-sustaining inhalers for those who need it,” said Elisabeth R. Benjamin, Vice President of Health Initiatives at the Community Service Society of New York.