The treatment of asthma patients is costing New York residents $1.3 billion each year.
According to a new report, the cost of treating patients suffering from asthma in New York state has reached a new high. The latest numbers were released this week by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, with experts finding that asthma care costs the state $1.3 billion each year.
“Our report finds that the Medicaid cost to taxpayers for treating asthma has jumped, and the prevalence of asthma among older Medicaid recipients is especially high,” DiNapoli said in a statement to the press.
The report says that the Medicaid costs of treating asthma has risen 26 percent over the last five years, which is faster than any other Medicaid expense across the country. The disease also affects different groups at disproportionate rates, with African Americans and Hispanics more likely to develop the disease.
The massive cost to taxpayers has lead some local leaders in New York to call for policy changes that would allocate funding toward neighborhoods throughout the state with higher rates of asthma, as well as creating stronger preventative initiatives.
Having more access to treatment centers has lead to a substantial drop in asthma rates in East and Central Harlem, says DiNapoli’s report. According to assistant city health commissioner Roger Hayes, there has been a reduction in asthma rates by 37 percent in these neighborhoods since the East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence opened its doors.
Lawmakers are also dedicated to changing zoning laws in New York, which would cut down on high-pollution facilities that are present in poorer neighborhoods, where asthma is most prevalent. DiNapoli says that major changes are necessary to cut down on the $1.3 billion in taxpayer money that is being used to treat this treatable disease.
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