I write to request your support for the “Elijah E. Cummings Family Asthma Act” (H.R. 5749), which expands the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Asthma Control Program to serve all 50 states and directs the CDC to collaborate with state and local health departments to provide information and education to the public about asthma. It also requires the development of state plans to address asthma, particularly for disproportionately affected communities, and requires the collection and coordination of data on the impact of asthma. There are more than 25 million Americans diagnosed with asthma, including 6 million children under 18. More than 4,000 Americans die from asthma each year. Asthma remains one of the most serious chronic diseases and costly health issues ($81 billion annually in direct and indirect healthcare costs) in the United States. Better asthma management has been proven to decrease the number of asthma episodes or attacks, and result in increased patient adherence to medications. Since its inception in 1999, the National Asthma Control Program’s activities have been integral to reducing the number of deaths from asthma, despite the fact that the overall number of people diagnosed with asthma has increased. Expanding the program to include adequate systems that allow for better surveillance, management, and treatment of asthma in all states will help children and adults with asthma lead full and healthy lives. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope this legislation becomes law.

As your constituent, I write to request your support for the “Elijah E. Cummings Family Asthma Act” (H.R. 5749), which expands the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Asthma Control Program to serve all 50 states and directs the CDC to collaborate with state and local health departments to provide information and education to the public about asthma. The bill also requires the development of state plans to address asthma, particularly for disproportionately affected communities, and requires the collection and coordination of data on the impact of asthma. There are more than 25 million Americans diagnosed with asthma, including 6 million children under 18. More than 4,000 Americans die from asthma each year. Asthma remains one of the most serious chronic diseases and costly health issues ($81 billion annually in direct and indirect healthcare costs) in the United States. Better asthma management has been proven to decrease the number of asthma episodes or attacks, and result in increased patient adherence to medications. Since its inception in 1999, the National Asthma Control Program’s activities have been integral to reducing the number of deaths from asthma, despite the fact that the overall number of people diagnosed with asthma has increased. Expanding the program to include adequate systems that allow for better surveillance, management, and treatment of asthma in all states will help children and adults with asthma lead full and healthy lives. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope this legislation becomes law.

I write to request your support for the “Elijah E. Cummings Family Asthma Act” (H.R. 5749), which expands the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Asthma Control Program to serve all 50 states and directs the CDC to collaborate with state and local health departments to provide information and education to the public about asthma. It also requires the development of state plans to address asthma, particularly for disproportionately affected communities, and requires the collection and coordination of data on the impact of asthma. There are more than 25 million Americans diagnosed with asthma, including 6 million children under 18. More than 4,000 Americans die from asthma each year. Asthma remains one of the most serious chronic diseases and costly health issues ($81 billion annually in direct and indirect healthcare costs) in the United States. Better asthma management has been proven to decrease the number of asthma episodes or attacks, and result in increased patient adherence to medications. Since its inception in 1999, the National Asthma Control Program’s activities have been integral to reducing the number of deaths from asthma, despite the fact that the overall number of people diagnosed with asthma has increased. Expanding the program to include adequate systems that allow for better surveillance, management, and treatment of asthma in all states will help those living with asthma lead full and healthy lives. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope this bill becomes law.

I write to request your support for the “Elijah E. Cummings Family Asthma Act” (H.R. 5749), which expands the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Asthma Control Program to serve all 50 states and directs the CDC to collaborate with state and local health departments to provide information and education to the public about asthma. It also requires the development of state plans to address asthma, particularly for disproportionately affected communities, and requires the collection of data on the impact of asthma. There are more than 25 million Americans diagnosed with asthma, including 6 million children under 18. More than 4,000 Americans die from asthma each year. Asthma remains one of the most serious chronic diseases and costly health issues ($81 billion annually in direct and indirect healthcare costs) in the United States. Better asthma management has been proven to decrease the number of asthma episodes and result in increased patient adherence to medications. Since its inception in 1999, the National Asthma Control Program’s activities have been integral to reducing the number of deaths from asthma, despite the fact that the overall number of people diagnosed with asthma has increased. Expanding the program to include adequate systems that allow for better surveillance, management, and treatment of asthma in all states will help children and adults with asthma lead full and healthy lives. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope this legislation becomes law.