TOP NEWS
It’s Not Too Late to Get Your Flu Shot!
The American Lung Association recently recognized National Influenza Vaccination Week by joining leading health organizations in urging everyone ages 6 months and older, and especially individuals at high risk for complications and hospitalization, to get a flu shot. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop antibodies to fight off the flu. With holiday gatherings quickly approaching, it’s important to get your annual flu vaccination to help protect yourself and your loved ones against serious illness. Find resources about flu prevention through our new Flu Resource Library and learn more at Lung.org/prevent-flu.
New Tool Improves Pulmonary Hypertension Diagnosis and Care
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious condition in which the walls of the lung arteries have become stiff, damaged and narrow, raising blood pressure in the lungs and restricting blood flow. The condition is rare and inconsistently diagnosed and treated in the U.S. Left untreated, patients with PH have a high mortality rate. To help primary care providers better understand PH, we recently joined the Pulmonary Hypertension Association in releasing “Guidance to the Guidelines.” The recommendations were the result of our first in-person scientific roundtable, bringing together PH experts to break down and interpret complex information to improve care. The new guidelines will be distributed to healthcare providers. Read our new blog, “How Pulmonary Hypertension Guidelines Improve Patient Care.”
Surgeon General Report Addresses Persistent Tobacco-Related Health Disparities
We recently lauded the 35th Surgeon General’s Report, “Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disease and Death: Addressing Disparities.” More than 490,000 deaths are caused by tobacco use each year, including 50,000 Black and 15,000 Hispanic adults, according to the report, and smoking is twice as common among people living in poverty. “The American Lung Association welcomes the Surgeon General’s findings regarding health disparities in the use of tobacco, exposure to secondhand smoke, and the death and disease that disproportionately affects communities insidiously targeted by tobacco companies,” said Harold Wimmer, Lung Association President & CEO.
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PATIENT SUPPORT
During the holidays, families often welcome guests into their homes. However, certain activities, like cleaning and cooking, can release airborne pollutants that are easily inhaled. These include particulate matter and volatile organic compounds, cancer-causing gases released from common household products. Here are tips to help maintain healthy air in your home, this holiday season and throughout the year:
- Choose safer cleaner products free of aerosols, fragrances and other chemicals
- Ventilate your home when cooking by opening a window or using exhaust fans
- Avoid using fireplaces or woodburning stoves unless they are a primary heat source
Learn about more about clean air indoors, and read our new blog, “Is Cooking Making Your Indoor Air Unsafe?”
Open Enrollment for HealthCare.gov and Changes to Medicare Coverage
Open enrollment for quality, affordable coverage through HealthCare.gov continues through January 15 in most states. Individuals who do not have coverage through their job, Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), are eligible to enroll in Marketplace coverage. This fall, for the first time, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are eligible for coverage and subsidies. In addition, tax credits are still available to reduce costs, and four out of five enrollees can typically find plans for less than $10 per month. For more information, including how to enroll, one-page Open Enrollment Basics fact sheets in English and Spanish, and other tools and resources, please visit www.Lung.org/openenrollment. Also, read our new blog, “Enhanced Tax Credits Have This Family Covered.”
While Medicare Open Enrollment closed earlier this month, Medicare enrollees still have the option to enroll in the Prescription Payment Plan, which allows people to pay their prescription drug costs in monthly installments over the course of the plan year. Starting in 2025, Medicare out-of-pocket costs for Part D (prescription drugs) will be capped at $2000 per year. The Lung Association has more information and resources about changes to Medicare at Lung.org/medicare, including new Medicare Prescription Payment Plan Case Studies to help you understand if the program makes sense for you.
RESEARCH UPDATE
Lung Association Sponsors International COPD Research Meeting
Last month, we sponsored COPD-iNET in Boston, a three-day meeting of international physicians and scientists dedicated to advancing COPD translational research. The event brought together nearly 100 COPD scientists from around the world, including Lung Association-supported researchers and principal investigators from our Airways Clinical Research Centers, to share the latest findings and updates on COPD to help advance treatment and care.
ADVOCACY
Graphic Health Warnings Can Appear on Cigarette Packages
In a tremendous victory for public health, the U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to hear a tobacco industry challenge to graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and advertisements, as required under a 2020 FDA rule. The decision leaves in place a March U.S. Court of Appeals ruling that upheld the FDA warning mandate. The warnings are expected to take effect in December 2025, if not delayed again due to additional legal decisions. The Lung Association joined other public health and medical organizations in supporting the court rulings.
EACH BREATH BLOG
The Importance of Lung Cancer Screening for Veterans
Smoking and tobacco use remain the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. and more than one in five (21.6%) U.S. veterans use cigarettes. When combined with job-related exposure to hazardous conditions, veterans who use tobacco face a greater likelihood of developing lung disease. In our new blog, Dr. Joel Nations, a veteran and pulmonologist, strongly advocates for lung cancer screening, especially for veterans who smoke or have in the past. Screening involves a simple and painless low-dose CT scan, which can catch lung cancer early when the disease is more treatable. Read more.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
For over 120 years, we have been dedicated to making a difference and saving lives. Our efforts impact the more than 35 million people living in the U.S. with chronic lung disease, and millions more through our pioneering model of education, advocacy and research. Thank you for all you do to help us all breathe easier! Visit Lung.org/get-involved to learn more about how you can make a difference.
Blog last updated: December 17, 2024
