Asthma in America Costs Billions

Based on an analysis of medical expenses and costs associated with work and school absences and deaths between 2008 and 2013, federal health officials say that the economic cost of asthma in the United States is almost $82 billion per year. However, the actual cost of asthma is most likely underestimated because the study did not include individuals with untreated asthma. Lead author Dr. Tursynbek Nurmagambetov writes, “Cost studies can influence health policy decisions and help decision makers understand the scale, seriousness and implications of asthma so that resources can be identified to improve disease management and reduce the burden of asthma. [The findings show] the critical need to support and further strengthen asthma control strategies.” Annals of the American Thoracic Society, January 2018