[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E783]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ASTHMA AWARENESS MONTH

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                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 21, 2015

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, May is Asthma Awareness Month. As co-chair of 
the Congressional Asthma and Allergy Caucus and a senior member of the 
House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Health Subcommittee, I want to 
take this opportunity to bring attention to asthma's prevalence in the 
United States, as well as what must be done to control its growth.
  Asthma is one of the most serious chronic diseases in the U.S., 
affecting almost 26 million Americans and nearly 7 million children. It 
can cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, chest pain, and even 
death.
  In my home state of New York, asthma takes a particularly heavy 
toll--especially in my hometown of the Bronx. About 390,000 children 
and 1.4 million adults in New York have asthma. The total cost of 
asthma-related hospitalizations in New York in 2007 was a staggering 
$535 million. The Bronx, where I was born and raised and am proud to 
represent part of, has one of the highest rates of asthma-related 
emergency room visits in all of New York.
  These statistics are even more alarming when looking specifically at 
minority and low-income populations. Children from poor households are 
twice as likely as their more affluent peers to be diagnosed with 
asthma. In addition, asthma rates among African American children 
increased by 50 percent between 2001 and 2009.
  Asthma's prevalence costs children and adults dearly with regard to 
quality of life. However, it carries an economic cost as well. The 
direct medical costs of asthma treatment, coupled with absences from 
work and school, result in losses of more than $56 billion annually 
Children additionally suffer academically, as asthma causes about 14 
million student absences each year.
  While asthma can be treated and managed, it is too often not managed 
properly. Asthma sufferers require regular check-ups, asthma management 
plans, and access to both maintenance and fast acting inhalers. People 
with persistent asthma must be tested for allergies so they can learn 
what triggers might cause an asthma attack. Furthermore, environmental 
triggers in homes and schools, such as mold, dust, animal dander, 
pests, toxic chemicals, and excessive moisture must be eliminated.
  Congress must also work to reduce asthma rates. A little over five 
years ago, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the 
Affordable Care Act, which prohibited insurance companies from denying 
coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, like asthma. While 
this was a terrific stride, more efforts are needed here in Washington.
  I have been a strong supporter of the Centers for Disease Control's 
National Asthma Control Program, which helps states implement systems 
to monitor and treat asthma. This Program's work has resulted in a 
$23.1 billion decline in asthma health care costs since 2001. In 
addition, deaths related to asthma have dropped by 24 percent since the 
Program's inception in 1999. Earlier this year, I wrote a letter asking 
appropriators to fund the National Asthma Control Program at $30.6 
million in Fiscal Year 2016.
  While financial support for this Program is vital, we cannot rely on 
funding alone to solve the problems that asthma causes. We must 
continue to increase awareness of preventative measures to help people 
manage their disease. In addition, we must work collaboratively across 
sectors to address the burden that asthma creates.
  I look forward to continuing to work to ensure that adults and 
children across the United States can live healthier and more 
successful lives.

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