Inflation Reduction Act Will Improve Lung Health; Lung Association Urges President Biden to Quickly Sign Bill into Law

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill will now go to President Biden to sign into law. The American Lung Association’s National President and CEO Harold Wimmer issued the following statement in response to the passage of this important bill:

“The American Lung Association applauds Congress for quickly passing this bill, which includes critical measures that will benefit the constituents we serve, including nearly 37 million Americans who live with lung disease.

“This legislation includes important investments to ensure quality and affordable healthcare for Americans and to address climate change, which is a health emergency. The bill extends healthcare tax credits for three years. Without an extension, an estimated 3.4 million individuals would lose their coverage and more than ten million people would see their premiums rise. The legislation also reduces out-of-pocket medication costs for Medicare beneficiaries and removes financial barriers to recommended vaccines.

“Investments in the Inflation Reduction Act provide tax credits to spur the development and implementation of clean energy technology and incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles, buses and trucks. The legislation will also hold oil and gas operators responsible for methane leaks and invest billions in cleaning up pollution in communities to further environmental justice.

“This bill is a major step forward, but there is still work to do to close the Medicaid coverage gap and end additional investments in harmful forms of energy production.

“We urge President Biden to quickly sign this bill into law, and we look forward to working with lawmakers on additional legislation to improve the health of all Americans.”

For media interested in speaking with an expert, contact the American Lung Association at Jill.Dale@Lung.org or at 312-940-7001.