New Legislation Introduced to Expand Asthma Preventive Services to California Families in Medi-Cal

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Today, Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), introduced SB 207, which would expand supports for asthma patient education provided by qualified, non-licensed providers and increase financial assistance to remediate environmental asthma triggers.  The three co-sponsors of the bill, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN), Children Now, and Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP), made the following comments:

“California’s low-income and communities of color are more likely to have asthma and to be hospitalized or to visit the emergency room for preventable asthma related conditions. SB 207 provides families with the tools they need in a language they understand to manage their conditions so they can work and stay healthy. It will reduce health care costs and result in healthier communities.” – Sarah de Guia, Executive Director, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN)

 “Asthma is the most common chronic disease afflicting kids, affecting roughly 1.2 million of California’s children. It is a leading factor for children missing school, and when it’s not managed effectively, kids can end up in the emergency room, which takes a toll on children and their families, and is costly for the state. Almost in fact, nearly 90 percent of all pediatric asthma emergency department visits are by children in Medi-Cal.  This legislation makes strong investments in preventive care and asthma education for kids in Medi-Cal so kids can have better outcomes and more efficient care.” –Ted Lempert, President, Children Now

“There is robust evidence showing that asthma education and in-home assessments improve the lives of people with asthma and reduce costly visits to the emergency room. This legislation will make sure that these services are available to the people who need these services the most.” – Anne Kelsey Lamb, Director, Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP)

Contact: Maria Mejia, 510-763-2444 x108, mmejia@childrennow.org