DENVER -- Colorado lawmakers are considering a measure that would shore up the state's reinsurance program and expand access to more affordable health insurance for thousands of Coloradans who are not able to get assistance under the Affordable Care Act.

Karla Gonzales Garcia, policy director for the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), says the COVID-19 health emergency has made it clear how each individual's health depends upon his or her neighbor's ability to access needed health care.

"Everyone deserves access to health care," Garcia states. "When we talk about how we build healthy communities, we have to come with a framework that everyone should have access to affordable, quality health care."

Senate Bill 215 would continue a federal fee on insurance carriers, which benefited from expanded coverage under the ACA, set to expire this year. For-profit carriers still would pay 2.5% of premiums, with nonprofits paying 1%.

Some members of the business community warn that the measure could hurt small businesses if insurance companies pass the fee along in raised premiums.

Garcia contends that small businesses will benefit from SB 215 because it will help them compete with larger corporations if their workers can access affordable health coverage.

She says the proposal will also help maintain coverage for thousands of Coloradans who have lost their employer-based insurance during the economic fallout of the pandemic, and expand coverage for frontline workers most at risk.

"How is it possible that, in the richest country in the world, that we do not have a system that makes sure that those in low-wage jobs have health benefits?" Garcia raises. "And unfortunately, most of them are people of color."

Garcia says some 250,000 individuals and families who purchase their health insurance on the individual market stand to benefit if SB 215 becomes law, because it will help preserve the state's reinsurance program.

In its first year, the program resulted in a 20% drop in premiums on the individual market, and some rural parts of the state saw a 35% decrease.


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About 200,000 kids in Michigan have asthma, and nearly five million suffer from the condition nationwide. Research from Michigan State University shows school-based asthma therapy helps kids manage their symptoms while reducing medical costs. According to the study, school-based therapy relies on collaboration between school staff, nurses, health care providers, insurers, pharmacies, and families.

Kimberly Arcoleo, Michigan State University nursing professor, said the program began as a randomized controlled trial in Rochester, New York in the late 90's. It was launched by a doctor who noticed the same children repeatedly visiting her clinic for asthma treatment - often missing school.

"She came up with actually the very simple idea, on the face of it, to have the school nurses give the kids their asthma controller medications during the school day," she said.

Arcoleo added that the program allows kids to get at least one of their two recommended doses of asthma medication at school. She said that the therapy costs $1,500 per student but saves up to seven thousand in medical expenses by reducing asthma symptoms.

Eighteen U.S. states have passed legislation allowing schools to give out common asthma medications. Michigan has guidelines for school-based asthma plans, but not always asthma therapy. Arcoleo says an unpublished study shows school-based asthma therapy reduces the amount of time students spend away from the classroom, while improving their behavior.

"So, they're sleeping better at night. They're not waking up cranky and irritable - and so therefore they're not acting out as much in the classroom, or on the bus," she continued.

Arcoleo said team is using six years of data to evaluate the cost of asthma therapy in schools - including medical expenses, staff time, and caregiver work loss. She expects results sometime this year.


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About one in four adults and one in five children suffer from seasonal allergies in Maryland, and experts have tips on how to treat them. You may know the feeling - the runny nose, sneezing, coughing and itchy eyes that come with spring allergies.

Dr. Jody Tversky, associate professor with Johns Hopkins University's Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, explained allergic reactions happen when you come into contact with an allergen that prompts the body to produce chemicals called histamines, creating the uncomfortable symptoms. Tversky says nasal allergies in particular can make day-to-day activities much harder.

"Folks with allergies of the nose and sinus tend not to be life-threatening, which is a good thing. But they can cause lots of suffering. Headaches, poor concentration, poor sleep, inability to sleep or breathe through the nose. It's like walking around with a constant cold or sinus infection," Tversky said.

UnitedHealthcare has a fact sheet on fighting seasonal allergies. It says you can run the air conditioners in your home or car, shower before bed, and use air purifiers to reduce pollen levels.

If preventive measures don't work, over-the-counter medication can provide some relief.

Dr. Greg Carvenale, chief medical officer with UnitedHealthcare, said those may not always be effective, and recommends giving them a little time to kick in.

"Taking the same medication and expecting a different result, as the old saying goes, likely won't be successful. So if it's been a week or two of you having continued symptoms without relief of taking some of the over-the-counter medications, it's probably time for you to see your health care professional," he explained.

He also recommended avoiding allergens by staying indoors on windy or high-pollen days between the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Black Maternal Health Week runs through April 17th, and according to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of maternal death, in Missouri and across the nation. Black women
are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related heart complications.

Tiara Johnson, a St. Louis resident, was diagnosed ten years ago, at just 25, with peripartum cardiomyopathy or PPCM, a rare type of heart failure in the last month of pregnancy or within five months after giving birth. She says at the time, she was living in Michigan and was initially misdiagnosed before doctors confirmed PPCM.

"Every time it's like, 'Oh it's normal, it's postpartum, it happens to moms.' And the other hospital - where I finally decided, 'I'm going somewhere else, I need a second opinion - and that's where they were able to detect that I was actively in full-blown congestive heart failure at this point," she explained.

Johnson received a heart transplant - but is still paying off the medical bills. She has a 'GoFundMe' page to help. PPCM can mimic pregnancy, so symptoms like fatigue, swelling and being out of breath may signal serious heart trouble and require prompt medical attention. To stay healthy, doctors recommend regular exercise, a balanced diet and avoiding alcohol and smoking.

Risk factors for PPCM include maternal age over 35, high blood pressure, multiple pregnancies and ethnicity, as the condition is more commonly seen in Black women. Johnson emphasized the importance of listening to your body and remembering that self-care isn't optional - it's essential.

"As part of the narrative, you know, as moms, we want to be 'super woman' and do all of the things. But we have to tend to ourselves. Because if we don't care of ourselves first, we can't take care of our children, our spouses or anyone else," she continued.

PPCM affects more than 1,000 women each year in the U.S., though experts say it may be underdiagnosed.