Asthma Budget Bill in MO Legislature Needs to be Funded!

Dear Editor,

Nationwide, asthma affects 1:11 children, and here in Missouri, that ratio is 1:5 throughout many zip codes. It is also the number one school-age childhood illness and the NUMBER ONE reason for emergency room visits and hospitalizations in the state.

Just last week, Governor Nixon withheld (a previously vetoed) budget item that would save thousands and perhaps millions of Medicaid dollars for the State of Missouri (estimates indicate $300,000 - $500,000 per 100 children per year savings for Medicaid and $500,000 - $1 million per 100 children per year savings for commercial insurance). This budgetary line item would implement asthma care management changes (supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid) which include asthma education and healthy home assessments for many diagnosed children with asthma across our state.

How would this save money in the long run? More and more studies from around the country demonstrate reduced emergency room and hospital visits when a healthy home assessment is done to identify the asthma triggers. Additionally, providing asthma education outside the emergency room leads to better retention success (for example, many families have no idea that their home is making their child sick). Improving the quality of life for those who are costing the state thousands of dollars should be Missouri’s goal. Funding these services will not only improve school attendance and reduce time spent in the emergency room, but also improve healthcare costs for Missouri.

Sincerely,

Joy Krieger
Executive Director
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, St. Louis Chapter