Lawmakers Push for Free Asthma Inhalers in New York Amid Crisis

On Thursday, September 12th, New York lawmakers, Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas and Senator Gustavo Rivera, introduced legislation to eliminate the cost of asthma inhalers for insured residents. The bill aims to remove copayments, deductibles, and other cost-sharing burdens, making inhalers free for individuals with asthma, a chronic condition affecting over 1.4 million adults and 315,000 children in the state.

The legislation is particularly significant for boroughs like Queens and the Bronx, often referred to as “Asthma Alley” due to their high rates of asthma hospitalizations, largely attributed to poor air quality and environmental factors. González-Rojas, who represents Astoria, emphasized the importance of ensuring affordable access to life-saving inhalers, noting that the issue disproportionately affects young people of color in her district.

González-Rojas stated, “A KFF poll this year found that 55% of adults are very or somewhat worried about affording their prescription drug costs. Inhalers for asthma are not only life-saving devices but also essential medicines. We must do everything we can to ensure that over one million New Yorkers, including children, who have asthma can access this crucial healthcare tool. As a representative of Astoria, also known as ‘Asthma Alley,’ I am proud to introduce this bill with Senator Rivera and urge the legislature to pass it and the Governor to sign it into law. It should not be so costly to breathe.”

The cost of asthma medication has skyrocketed in recent years, with some inhalers priced as high as $640 per month. Despite being life-saving devices, many individuals, even with insurance, struggle to afford them. “It should not be so costly to breathe,” said González-Rojas, calling for immediate action to pass the bill.

Senator Rivera, representing the Bronx, highlighted the unequal impact asthma has on low-income communities and communities of color. He stated that the proposed legislation is crucial to addressing these health disparities, which lead to higher emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and asthma-related deaths. The Bronx, in particular, has one of the highest asthma mortality rates in New York City, further emphasizing the need for policy intervention.

Senator Rivera said, “Our state must use every tool we have to address the serious asthma crisis that disproportionately affects children in the Bronx and other parts of New York impacted by environmental and economic injustice. I’m proud to introduce legislation with Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas that recognizes how imperative it is to remove the financial barriers to life-saving inhalers.”

He concluded, “No parent should have to spend hundreds of dollars for an inhaler that can save their child’s life.”

Several states, including Minnesota, Washington, and New Jersey, have already implemented legislation capping the cost of asthma inhalers. In New Jersey, for example, a law set to take effect in January 2025 will cap the price of inhalers at $50 per month. Advocates believe New York must follow suit to ensure no one is priced out of essential asthma care.

The bill has garnered support from healthcare organizations, including the Community Service Society of New York, whose Vice President of Health Initiatives, Elisabeth R. Benjamin, stated, “Untreated asthma unnecessarily compromises the health of thousands of New Yorkers—especially communities of color or who have low-incomes. This smart bill will ensure that insurance cost-sharing is never a barrier to accessing life-sustaining inhalers for those who need it. It’s time to stop being penny-wise and pound foolish when it comes to respiratory disease in New York.” 

Benjamin said, “Insurance cost-sharing should never be a barrier to life-sustaining inhalers.”