Giving Compass' Take:

• Laura Skopec explains how the Urban Institute found the staggering $800 million ER price tag associated with asthma that could be avoided through preventative care. 

• How can philanthropy improve preventative care? What research is needed related to asthma? 

• Find out why the future of medicine may be keeping people healthy. 

Asthma attacks are a common cause of emergency room (ER) visits among children. Exposure to indoor allergens and irritants like mold, moisture, pests, and tobacco smoke can exacerbate asthma, leading to potentially avoidable ER visits.

Our analysis of the 2015 American Housing Survey (AHS) found that more than one-quarter of households with a school-age child (ages 5 to 17) with asthma was exposed to leaks in the past year, which may lead to mold or dampness. Nearly one in five households with a school-age child with asthma was exposed to smoke in the home at least monthly, through smoking by household members, visitors, or residents in other units in the building.

Renter-occupied households with school-age children with asthma were more than twice as likely as owner-occupied households to be exposed to smoke, musty smells, and evidence of cockroaches or rodents at least monthly over the past year.

Read the full article about asthma ER visits triggered from home by Laura Skopec at Urban Institute.