Asthma Friendly Policies

 In Michigan, Medicaid managed care plans have all agreed to provide 4 spacers/year at the pharmacy with no prior authorization. Developed by the Michigan Dept. of Health & Human Services asthma program and partners, this infographic was designed to help Medicaid members learn why they should use a spacer, and how to get one.

The purpose of the rule is to require public housing agencies (PHAs) to establish, within 18 months of the effective date, a policy disallowing the use of prohibited tobacco products, as such term is defined in § 965.653(c), inside all indoor areas of public housing, including but not limited to living units, indoor common areas, electrical closets, storage units, and PHA administrative office buildings, and in all outdoor areas within 25 feet of the housing and administrative office buildings (collectively, “restricted areas”). As further discussed in this rule, such a policy is expected to improve indoor air quality in public housing; benefit the health of public housing residents, visitors, and PHA staff; reduce the risk of catastrophic fires; and lower overall maintenance costs.

This rule applies to all public housing other than dwelling units in mixed-finance buildings. PHAs are required to establish, within 18 months of the effective date of the rule, policies disallowing the use of prohibited tobacco products in all restricted areas. PHAs may, but are not required to, further restrict smoking to outdoor dedicated smoking areas outside the restricted areas, create additional restricted areas in which smoking is prohibited (e.g., near a playground), or, alternatively, make their entire grounds smoke-free.

PHAs are required to document their smoke-free policies in their PHA plans, a process that requires resident engagement and public meetings. The proscription on the use of prohibited tobacco products must also be included in a tenant's lease, which may be done either through an amendment process or as tenants renew their leases annually.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York has announced more than $1.6 billion in funding for school districts nationwide to help students manage their asthma. The funding is part of Gillibrand’s School Asthma Management Plan Act and was included in the national education bill recently signed into law by President Obama. The funding will go to school districts nationwide to help them develop policies over how to deal with student asthma attacks. It will also include money for training so that schools can help students prevent and respond to their own asthma attacks. "This is a real, real world benefit to children with asthma," said Michael Seilback of the American Lung Association. He said if students have help managing their own asthma, they can spend less time in the emergency room and more time in school. "Most children with asthma know there are certain triggers that cause their asthma to flare up and could lead to an asthma attack," Seilback said. "We can’t prevent those symptoms from starting, but, by actively working on their own condition, we try to avoid getting to the point where they’re being sent to an emergency room." According to the New York State Department of Health, more than 56,000 Long Island children suffer from asthma. Nearly 1,300 were hospitalized overnight for their asthma in 2014.