New Yorkers with asthma will no longer face out-of-pocket costs for their inhalers under a new state law signed this week.
The legislation eliminates deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance for at least one rescue and one maintenance inhaler for anyone on a state-regulated health insurance plan. With asthma affecting over 1.4 million adults and hundreds of thousands of children in New York, the change is expected to improve access to critical medications for families statewide.
The cost of inhalers can exceed $600 per month, which has forced many patients to skip or delay treatment. Supporters of the bill say removing financial barriers will help save lives, especially in communities with high asthma rates.
The New York State Department of Health reports that asthma leads to over 1.7 million emergency room visits nationally each year and adds more than $50 billion in healthcare costs. In New York, about 315,000 children also suffer from asthma, and it remains one of the leading causes of chronic illness-related deaths.
The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas. Both lawmakers said the new law will advance health equity and protect vulnerable communities across the state. The effort builds on previous action taken in 2024, when the state eliminated insulin cost-sharing for New Yorkers with diabetes.
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