10 Pending Bills May Help Our Communty

The event took place on May 8, 2019. It was sponsored by the Allergy & Asthma Network. Hundreds of asthma and allergy advocates were invited to participate. We were asked to advocate before Congress for bills pending before the 116th Congress. Here is the scoop on what some of these bills entail.

H.R. ?. FY20 Labor HHS and Education Appropriations bill. So new it doesn’t even have a number. It calls for funding of programs meant to help us. These include:

• CDC’s National Asthma Control Program
• NHLBI’s National Asthma Education and Prevention Program

It would be neat if these programs were better funded.

H.R. 2508. Better Respiration Through Expanding Access to TeleHealth (BREATHE) Act. Of all the pending bills, this one is my favorite. At the present time respiratory therapists are only available in the hospital setting. This is despite evidence of the value of our services outside the hospital setting, especially regarding proper inhaler technique. This bill would “test the value” of respiratory therapists in the telehealth setting. Personally, I think this would be a huge boon to all people living with respiratory diseases.

H.R. 2468. School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act. This would offer grant dollars to states that implement school asthma and allergy management programs. These would include school asthma action plans for students. It would also include programs to educate teachers and staff how best to help asthmatics having asthma episodes. This is another initiative that is long over due, as some schools have some pretty pathetic policies (or lack thereof) for managing asthma in kids. This is a common sense bill that should have no trouble gaining traction (or so I think).

H.R. 2279. Safe Step Act. At the present time, insurance companies direct physicians. For instance, a doctor might know that a patient may benefit from Xolair. But, before the insurance company will pay for it, an asthmatic must fail trials of less expensive medicines like Symbicort, Dulera, and Advair. The time it takes to trial these other medicines may result in ongoing uncontrolled asthma. This may result in unscheduled doctor’s visits, emergency room visits, hospital admissions, and missed school days for kids. It may also result in missed work days for parents. And, of course, all of this comes with an exorbitant cost and also the risk of death to the asthmatic. This bill would allow doctor’s to safely prescribe the best medicines as soon as they think a patient might benefit. This is another common sense bill. Although, I can see how insurance companies might lobby against it.

H.R. ?. FY20 Transportation and HUD Appropriations bill. Some asthmatics live in homes that are replete with allergens such as dust mits, mold, and cockroaches. Many of these allergens can be controlled by simple repairs. But, many asthmatics (or the parents thereof), have difficulty paying for these repairs. This bill would provide funding for HUD’s Healthy Homes Program. This program both educates families and helps them apply for grants so they can make the necessary home repairs to remove asthma triggers from their homes.

H.R. ?. FY20 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. This would provide funding for the EPAs s asthma research, education and outreach initiatives. The EPA has a variety of initiatives aimed at helping asthmatics learn about their disease, best manage it, and control triggers.

H.R. 2117. Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (FASTER) Act. At present, companies must list eight allergens on food packages, and this includes peanuts and nuts. This act would add sesame to the list. Sesame is a rare allergy. However, because it’s not listed on food packaging, those living with sesame allergy have to take drastic steps to avoid it. This is another of those common sense laws you’d you’d think would easily move forward.

H.R. 1243. Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act of 2019. This bill has also gained traction in the Senate as S 523. If this bill passes it would direct the department of HHS to create a national strategic action plan to help health professionals deal with and respond to the health effects of climate change.

What to make of this? 

So, these are the bills pending before the 116th Congress. All of these are aimed at helping the asthma and allergy communities. These are the bills we advocated for. Tonya Winders, CEO of the Allergy & Asthma Network, said that, as a group, “We met with over 50% of the Senate and almost 20% of the House. That’s 120 visits in one day!! “ Pretty good.

Referenes.

1. Asthma & Allergy Bills Before the 116 Congress, Allergy & Asthma Network, https://www.allergyasthmanetwork.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AADCH_116th-Congress_legislation.pdf, accessed 5/14/19
2. "AARC Members Trek Up Capitol Hill Lobby For Respiratory Care,” American Association for Respiratory Care, http://www.aarc.org/nn19-aarc-members-lobby-at-capitol-hill/, accessed 5/14/19