Members of CALC Urge Priorities in Congressional Response to COVID-19
/Members of Childhood Asthma Leadership Coalition joined a letter urging Congress to include a series of priorities in the next pandemic relief package that would provide needed assistance to families and children with asthma grappling with the current health care and economic crises.
Priorities include:
Address drug shortages and remove other barriers to care that children with asthma currently face.
Increase flexibility for necessary telehealth programs, including expanding infrastructure so families can receive the necessary tools to participate in telehealth.
Create incentives for states to remove barriers to CHIP, including decreasing waiting periods, protecting continuous coverage, and eliminating unnecessary cost-sharing.
Facilitate the extension of school-based health services during school closures.
Provide funding to support school and daycare reopening efforts.
Ensure data collection regarding impact of COVID-19 on children, and fully fund Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help special education programs mitigate the risk of COVID-19 in their classrooms.
Fund the National Asthma Control Program at $34 million in Fiscal Year 2021.
Children have been underrepresented in legislation dealing with COVID-19, yet access to affordable and reliable health care is essential to controlling asthma symptoms. We believe these policies would provide families with much needed support to improve their health and wellbeing.
Click here to read the full Letter.
