Three Pennsylvania municipalities identified as least desirable locales for individuals with asthma
In a concerning revelation, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's 2025 U.S. Asthma Capitals report has ranked Allentown, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg among the worst cities in the country for people living with asthma.
The report identifies places with high rates of asthma prevalence, asthma emergency department visits, and asthma-related deaths. Towns and cities named as "asthma capitals" are more likely to have higher rates of poorer indoor and outdoor air quality, poverty, and more people who are uninsured or underinsured.
Exposure to environmental triggers like smoke and hazardous outdoor air conditions can be harmful for people with asthma. Indoor mold, more often found in aging infrastructures, can also negatively impact people with asthma.
Professor Ana Santos Rutschman, a health law expert at Villanova University, underscores the severity of the issue. She states that there are numerous issues in the asthma ecosystem, making it one of the major public health problems faced nationally and more so in certain regions like Pennsylvania.
One of the challenges lies in the cost of asthma medications. The cash price for some brand-name inhaler medications can be several hundred dollars without insurance coverage, and generics can be priced at over $200. Pharmaceutical companies GSK and Sanofi announced last year that they will cap out-of-pocket costs for a one-month supply of asthma medications at $35, but only for fully insured individuals with private health insurance, not for users of public programs like Medicaid or Medicare.
Professor Rutschman suggests that adults and children with asthma can use websites like GoodRx to search for medication prices and discounts at their local pharmacies. However, she points out that without federal or state laws mandating the caps, companies can change their policy at any time.
Rutschman also emphasizes that if asthma can be managed effectively, fewer people would need to visit the ER or the healthcare system. Long-term medications can help keep asthma under control and reduce the likelihood of asthma attacks, but they're often prescribed by a specialist and can be expensive.
To address the issue, states and cities could create incentive programs to encourage more mold remediation from older buildings and structures. This could potentially improve indoor air quality and help alleviate some of the challenges faced by those living with asthma.
September is one of the worst months of the year for asthma attacks and emergency room visits in the tri-state area. As we move forward, it is crucial to continue the conversation about asthma management and work towards making treatments more affordable and accessible for all.
Read also:
- Mourning a Mother's Death: Strategies for Daughters to Find Comfort
- Distinguishing between a cold and allergies is crucial for providing relief to your children's respiratory issues
- Turbine operators in Thuringia now face the task of dismantling underpinnings.
- Carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis: Characteristics, origins, remedies
