Advancing the Affordability of Prescription Inhalers in Illinois

While prescription inhalers are an essential self-management resource for people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, financial barriers have inhibited access to and use of inhaler medication.  About one fourth of people nationwide report difficulty affording medication and an Illinois study discovered greater financial barriers locally. Its findings indicated that almost 3 in 10 Illinois adults who take prescription medication are not filling prescriptions or adhering to the prescribed dosage of medication due to costs. With over 1.4 million Illinois residents living with chronic lung disease, reduced access to prescription medications represents a far-reaching medical concern. With this lack of affordability, lung disease patients are less likely to maintain lung health and quality of life. Furthermore, unaffordable prescription inhalers present heightened risk to exacerbated symptoms, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and death. Sponsored by Senator Mattie Hunter and Representative Laura Faver Dias, the American Lung Association has been working to pass SB3203 and HB4504. This measure caps the cost of prescription inhaler copays to $25 per 30-day supply, eliminating deductibles for these medications and increasing affordability. I have had the opportunity to provide education on Illinois’ cap on prescription inhaler copays as an Advocacy and Public Policy intern with the American Lung Association.

As a Master of Public student in Health Policy and Administration, it has been enriching to inform lung health policies. During my applied practice experience, I engaged stakeholders by developing and coordinating various lung health policy and educational communications amongst patients, patient advocates, healthcare professionals, medical institutions, health advocacy organizations, and donors. My development of press releases, social media promotions, and E-action alerts enhanced lung health advocates’ understanding of the policy-making process and their role/impact in supporting the advancements of lung health. I tracked real time advancement of lung health policies, and was driven to provide clear, concise, and relevant lung health education to House and Senate members.  The following experiences translated into my self-efficacy in educating others on lung health policy for the American Lung Association’s Advocacy Day on May 8th. Our visit to the State Capitol with lung health champions was a success as constituents met with their elected representatives and promoted lung health priorities.

It has been an honor and pleasure to contribute to the American Lung Association's mission: To save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With the support of the P3RC and the American Lung Association, I have sharpened my skills in educating diverse stakeholders on lung health approaches.  Illinois is now a step closer to making prescription inhalers more affordable.

Thanks to the support of the Policy, Practice, and Prevention Research Center (P3RC), I have been able to pursue and learn from opportunities aligned with my career objectives. As a public health professional seeking to mitigate health disparities and inefficiencies with macro-level initiatives, I have been dedicated to ensuring that my work translates into well-informed health improvement systems and policies. Furthermore, this experience has enabled me to develop essential competencies for promoting policy, systems, and environmental changes aimed at health equity and population health improvements, such as policy advocacy, health communications, and stakeholder engagement.