Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Boomer Esiason Foundation Urge State Not
                             to Restrict Coverage

    COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 1, the Ohio State
Department of Health plans to implement a major budget cut for the Bureau for
Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH). This program, originally established
for children with special medical needs, also assists many adults with cystic
fibrosis (CF). As a result of the budget cut and changes to eligibility
standards, adults will have trouble re-qualifying for this assistance, and
many children with CF and their families will face prohibitive fees.
    More than 1,300 Ohio residents have CF, a life-threatening genetic disease
that affects the lungs and digestive system. In addition to those with CF, the
cut will affect patients living with other chronic, terminal illnesses such as
cerebral palsy, chronic pulmonary disease, craniofacial deformities, and spina
bifida.
    Since 1998, the BCMH budget has been reduced from $12 million to
approximately $6 million. Eligibility changes instituted in 2003, combined
with the proposed July 1, 2004 cuts, will affect more than 5,000 current BCMH
beneficiaries. "BCMH is a program dedicated to helping working parents whose
children have costly health care needs. However, with the new cut in
eligibility, many CF patients with private insurance will face yearly payments
of $12,000 to $20,000. They simply cannot afford these huge new medical bills
and many will be forced to quit their jobs and go on Medicaid or seek
institutional care for their children," said State Representative Diana
Fessler (R).
    The cuts also could increase state costs if CF patients no longer receive
adequate treatment. "Rather than reducing health care expenses, these changes
could lead to increased hospitalization costs for people with CF because of
insufficient early medical care," said Dr. Bruce Barnett, associate director
for the Northwest Ohio Pediatric Pulmonary and Cystic Fibrosis Center.
    When funds were originally extended to adults with CF through the BCMH a
few decades ago, most people with CF did not live past childhood. Since then,
the median life expectancy for individuals with CF has increased to the early
30s. More than 40 percent of people with CF in the United States are 18 years
of age or older, with many more on the brink of adulthood. While many people
with CF do not live into their 30s, the number of adults with CF is growing.
    "Many CF patients can look forward to having an active life including
holding a job and raising a family," said Boomer Esiason, former Cincinnati
Bengals quarterback, founder of the Boomer Esiason Foundation and father of a
son who has CF. "The proposed cutbacks jeopardize this prospect, and the last
thing we want is for these patients' life expectancies and quality of life to
diminish."
    Access to appropriate health care has made a critical difference in
improving the longevity and quality of life for people with CF of all ages.
Individuals with CF must take eight or more different medications each day
-- medications that digest food, thin the mucus that clogs the lungs, and
fight lung infections. In addition to these medications, CF patients must
follow a high-calorie diet including nutritional supplements in order to
assure proper nutrition. The cost of these supplements is just one necessary
expense that will no longer be covered under the new BCMH guidelines.
    "Not only is Ohio planning to cut benefits for patients with CF, but many
states across the country are considering similar program eliminations. With
the fourth largest population of people with CF in the country, Ohio must set
a precedent by ensuring that the needs of these patients are met," said
Suzanne Pattee, vice president of public policy and patient affairs for the CF
Foundation in Bethesda, Md. and an adult with CF. "Now, just as people with CF
are finally living longer and new treatments are available, state cuts are
undermining access to lifesaving care."

    About the Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH), Division of
Ohio Department of Health
    The mission of the Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps is to
assure, through the development and support of high quality coordinated
systems, that children with special health care needs and their families
obtain comprehensive care and services which are family-centered,
community-based, and culturally sensitive. BCMH is a state-administered
program which operates within the Ohio Department of Health. The Bureau
receives funding for services from the federal Maternal and Child Health Block
Grant, state general revenue funds, county tax funds, third party
reimbursements, and donations.

    About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
    The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is to assure the development
of the means to cure and control CF and to improve the quality of life for
those with the disease. For more information on CF or the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation, call 800-FIGHT CF or visit http://www.cff.org.

    About the Boomer Esiason Foundation
    The Boomer Esiason Foundation is a partnership of leaders in the medical
and business communities joining with a committed core of volunteers to
provide financial support to research aimed at finding a cure for cystic
fibrosis. The Foundation works with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to heighten
education and awareness of cystic fibrosis and to provide a better quality of
life for those affected by cystic fibrosis. For more information on CF or the
Boomer Esiason Foundation, visit http://www.esiason.org.

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