Sustainability Now! | Jenna Riemenschneider | Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America | 7-7-25

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, takes a deep breath with Jenna Riemenschneider, Vice-President of Advocacy and Policy at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (https://aafa.org/). In addition to covering the causes of asthma, its connections to air pollution, and what listeners can do to help mitigate it, we take a look at current threats to federal funding to address asthma. Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, and the rates are rising in adults as well. As the Congressional budget process moves forward, it is important to understand the impact of the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program (NACP) on our state and the President’s FY 2026 Discretionary Budget Request. The administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” goal of addressing chronic illness and promoting personal responsibility has mentioned asthma. But the President’s budget proposal does not invest in asthma prevention and treatment. In fact, the NACP is at risk of elimination. The program was affected by “Reductions in Force” (RIFs) at the Department of Health and Human Services that occurred on April 1. While positions at the NACP have now been reinstated, the program is not included in the President’s proposed budget and is slated to be eliminated — not because of performance, but because it was assumed duplicative under internal restructuring. But the NACP is not redundant. It is the only federal program solely focused on asthma prevention and surveillance. No other federal initiative plays this role. Congress holds the power of the purse. If lawmakers do not include specific funding for the NACP in the FY26 Labor-HHS appropriations bill, the program could be eliminated—despite its long history of bipartisan support and strong outcomes. Nearly 400,000 Kentucky adults and 47,000 children have asthma. During the 2021–2022 school year, there were 39,213 students diagnosed with asthma, making it the most common chronic health condition in Kentucky schools. The Kentucky Asthma Management Program (KAMP) – funded by NACP – created a school-focused program that showed a 97% increase in improved school nurse knowledge of asthma care changes, medications, and administration. KAMP programs reduced pediatric uncontrolled asthma by 35% and improved asthma outcomes for more than 10,000 children. Kentucky receives just over $500,000 a year from the NACP each year and the funded programs save the state more than $36 million a year in reduced health care costs. Asthma is one of the most common and costly diseases in the U.S., affecting over 28 million Americans, including about 5 million children. Without prevention, costs will rise—especially for emergency care and hospitalizations. The NACP has a proven return on investment. It saves $71 for every $1 spent by preventing unnecessary ER visits and improving disease management. That’s exactly the kind of smart, efficient spending taxpayers expect. Cutting NACP means higher Medicaid and Medicare spending. States will see more ER visits, and higher long-term costs for both public and private insurers. Asthma leads to lost productivity. Asthma is a leading reason for missed school days, which not only affects a student’s academic performance but also causes missed work days for parents and guardians. 
As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com