“I’m just a bill, and I’m sitting here on Capitol Hill.”
I did a Schoolhouse Rock crash course before coming to Washington DC, and now I can’t get that song out of my head!
On May 8th, 2024, the Allergy and Asthma Network (AAN) hosted their 27th annual Allergy and Asthma Day on Capitol Hill – And I was honored to have been invited to join the non-profit organization’s efforts towards health equity on the federal level.
This Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month, AAN is advocating for ease of access to life-saving medications across the atopic community. When meeting with our local congressmen and women on Capitol Hill, we asked for their cosponsorship of the following five bills:
- Safe Step Act: Improves health insurance step therapy protocols and ensures patients are able to obtain the best treatment prescribed for them.
- Help Ensure Lower Patient (HELP) Copays Act: Requires health insurers to count the value of copay assistance toward deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums.
- Epinephrine Pharma Inflated Price Ends Now (EPIPEN) Act: Caps out-of-pocket cost for a two-pack of epinephrine auto-injector devices at $60 for patients with employer-based or individually purchased health insurance.
- Elijah E. Cummings Family Asthma Act: Expands the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program to all 50 states; directs the CDC to collaborate with state and local health departments on information and education to the public on asthma; requires the development of state plans around public health responses to asthma; and requires the collection and coordination of data on the impact of asthma.
- Dillon’s Law: Incentives states to train, certify, and enable good Samaritans to give epinephrine to a person experiencing anaphylaxis in the event they need the medication before emergency medical services can arrive.
As constituents of the state of Illinois, my team met with the staff of Senator Richard Durbin, Representative Mike Quigley, Representative Robin Kelly, and Representative Danny Davis. It was such a privilege to have our voices and stories be heard in the nation’s capital.
While this proposed legislation would ultimately serve our entire community at large, the Allergy and Asthma Network’s advocacy work is specifically directed towards improving health equity and patient care for Black and Hispanic families living with these conditions.
Epidemiological research has identified significant health disparities for Black and Hispanic people living with asthma, atopic dermatitis, and food allergies. These communities are disproportionately affected by these diseases due to lower socioeconomic statuses, poor access to health care, and environmental injustices. The following statistics offer some context for the negative health and financial outcomes of these chronic diseases.
Food allergy prevalence is higher among Black children (7.6%), compared to white children (5.3%).
Black and Hispanic children are 2.3x and 2.8x more likely to experience anaphylaxis from food allergens.
Asthma prevalence is higher among Black (14.3%) and Hispanic (17%) children, compared to white children (5.6%).
Black people are 3x more likely to die from asthma.
Black and Hispanic families have greater difficulty filling their prescription medications due to high costs.
Statistics provided by Allergy & Asthma Network
Over the past decade, the allergy and immunology field has made great advancements in the diagnosis, treatment, and therapy of these chronic diseases – But the communities most in need of these interventions are the same communities with the poorest access to them.
The Christopher D. Redding Youth Asthma Foundation is doing something about that. The Redding family lost their youngest son, Christopher, at just 18 years old to an exercise-induced asthma attack. As an otherwise healthy college student and young multi-sport athlete, his death came as a significant shock amongst all their grief. His parents, Mr. Michael Redding and Mrs. Helen Hammond Redding, have made it their life’s mission to spread awareness and education about this condition in order to prevent undue tragedy in other families. The foundation that lives on in their son’s name is bringing asthma and allergy care to the underserved populations of Chicago. The Lake County Asthma Van has served almost 1,500 children through its state of the art mobile clinic. Driving school to school, the free of cost service is bringing the necessary care straight to the doorstep of the patients in need.
The Redding family traveled to Washington DC with the Asthma and Allergy Network to advocate for the Elijah E. Cummings Family Asthma Act, which is particularly aligned with their mission. It was an honor to have been partnered with Mr. and Mrs. Redding as we met with our shared Illinois representatives on Capitol Hill. Hearing their story throughout the day was repeatedly impactful, and I am so inspired by their continued strength, dedication, and grace.
Together, we can help support, protect, and advocate for our most vulnerable communities across the allergy and asthma landscape. If you would like to get involved, please go to the Allergy and Asthma Network Advocacy Page for more information.
I hope to see you there in 2025!
All Things Allergies 