Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas is celebrating a legislative win following the passage of her Free Asthma Inhaler Bill in both chambers of the New York State Legislature.
The bill, which she sponsored in the Assembly alongside State Senator Gustavo Rivera in the Senate, would require insurance companies to cover asthma inhalers at no out-of-pocket cost to patients.
The legislation mandates insurance coverage for both maintenance and emergency inhalers, eliminating deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing requirements, removing a significant financial barrier for those living with asthma.
González-Rojas, who represents New York’s 34th Assembly District, including parts of Astoria, Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Woodside, said the bill addresses a growing public health crisis that disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color.
“We know that poor air quality, driven by industrial pollution, is a leading cause of asthma—and that these polluting sites are overwhelmingly concentrated near low-income communities, many of which are predominantly Black and Brown,” González-Rojas said in a statement. “That’s why the passage of this bill matters. Clean air should not come at a cost.”
She highlighted that areas like Astoria’s “Asthma Alley”—a nickname for the neighborhood due to the cluster of power plants and elevated asthma rates—underscore the urgency of the issue. “No New Yorker should suffer because they can’t afford the medicine they need to breathe,” she said. “This is more than a policy win—it’s a victory for health justice and environmental justice.”
According to the New York State Department of Health, more than 1.4 million adults in the state live with asthma. A 2021 CDC report estimates that about 315,000 children—roughly 9% of New York’s child population—also suffer from the condition. Asthma is a leading cause of missed school days and emergency room visits.
González-Rojas said asthma poses a major strain on the state’s healthcare system, accounting for 1.7 million emergency department visits annually and contributing to over $50 billion in healthcare costs nationwide. Inhalers, which she called “life-changing,” can cost patients as much as $640 per month without adequate insurance.
She called on Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign the legislation into law and noted the success of similar bills in Minnesota, Washington, and New Jersey, where inhaler costs have been capped or made more affordable through state action.
