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I just received the August issue from the Montana Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Bureau. Here they outline the importance of treating and controlling chronic diseases. In this issue the medical and pharmaceutical cost due to selected conditions for 2012 are listed. (Note: if these are 2012, data, you can bet the 2013 and this year will be even higher!)

Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs and here is the data for Montana. It ranked 7th in cost.

$308: Average annual cost to insurance per person

$121: Average annual out of pocket cost per person

30,000: Estimated number of working Montanans effected each year.

$12.9 million: Total estimated cost to Montanans each year.

In case you are curious about which diseases ranked higher than asthma in cost they are: 1. Lung cancer; 2. Colorectal cancer; 3. breast cancer; 4. Heart disease; 5. Arthritis; and 6. Diabetes. Furthermore, costs were lower for high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

At Family Allergy & Asthma Care of Montana, we feel it is important to know the financial as well as the emotional and physical impact that asthma has on residents of our great state. Wellness programs should focus on appropriate weight control, smoking cessation, exercise, annual flu shot and avoidance of asthma triggers. Combined this with early and accurate diagnosis, and appropriate treatment, together we can impact the health outcomes and cost of this common chronic disease.

For a comprehensive asthma evaluation, call 406-451-7017 and make an appointment.

This information is solely for informational purposes and not intended as a substitute for consultation with a medical professional.