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orleans

(36,676 posts)
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 08:47 PM Jun 2025

"parents sue after son's asthma death days after inhaler price soared without warning"



Cole Schmidtknecht, 22, had insurance but couldn’t afford to refill his asthma inhaler after the cost jumped from $70 to more than $500.


When 22-year-old Cole Schmidtknecht tried to get a refill on the inhaler prescribed by his doctor to prevent asthma attacks, the medication that had formerly cost him less than $70 at his Appleton, Wisconsin pharmacy was now priced at more than $500, according to Cole’s father, Bil Schmidtknecht.

Stunned, Cole left the store with a medication designed to stop asthma attacks once they start, but without the Advair Diskus inhaler he needed to prevent attacks from happening in the first place.

Five days after his pharmacy visit last year, Cole had a severe asthma attack, stopped breathing and collapsed. He never regained consciousness and died. Doctors attributed his death to asthma.

snip

The Schmidtknechts are pushing for legislation that would require a 90-day warning when an insurance company’s formulary is changed. They are also suing Optum Rx, the PBM that took Cole’s Advair Diskus off his insurance company’s formulary, and Walgreens, his pharmacy, which, the Schmidtknechts say, didn’t offer Cole a way to control his asthma while another solution could be found.


more

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/asthma-death-prescription-price-pharmacy-lawsuit-rcna210075




more on this story:
https://healthcareuncovered.substack.com/p/family-sues-unitedhealths-optum-rx


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BOSSHOG

(44,738 posts)
2. Well we're all gonna die
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 08:55 PM
Jun 2025

Said the Republican Senator with conservative values. She may be happy to testify. For the defendant.

 

Silent Type

(12,412 posts)
3. Damn sure ain't right. What I don't understand in a case like this why a pharmacist couldn't substitute. Advair
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 09:27 PM
Jun 2025

is pretty common and there are several alternatives that work as well. Obviously, he might have had special condition. In any event, people need time to contact their doc to discuss alternatives.

I used to take that stuff. Price skyrocketed. So doc gave me something else that cost less for awhile, then it increased. Same one more time.

But, yeah, 90 days notice is minimum. Plus, the whole damn healthcare system needs an overhaul.

Maraya1969

(23,419 posts)
9. I just got some generic since my insurance stopped covering Symbacort. It doesn't not work as well.
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 12:32 AM
Jun 2025

ReRe

(12,179 posts)
7. By "them", you mean the family, right?
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 11:57 PM
Jun 2025

I disagree. I think they have a very good chance of winning. The Pharmaceutical Co that makes the drug and the local pharmacy AND the Dr for not finding a comparable substitute. That Pharmacy should have comped this med for that patient as his asthma was so critical and found a way with the Dr to find a substitute by months end. Substitutes do exist. I know. I have asthma.

cstanleytech

(28,232 posts)
8. Yes, I mean the family but the problem is there isn't a requirement for the company to keep the price the same.
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 12:13 AM
Jun 2025

Same for the pharmacy comping the med, there simply isn't a law that I'm aware of that requires that they do so.

cstanleytech

(28,232 posts)
11. I doubt that would work though they might offer a settlement due to the negative publicity.
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 05:52 AM
Jun 2025

IronLionZion

(50,831 posts)
6. Death panels exist
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 11:19 PM
Jun 2025

they are within the healthcare industrial complex that are PBMs, insurance companies, HMOs, for profit hospitals, big pharma, etc. It's massive chunk of our economy with an unnecessarily dismal death rate. Almost as if wealthy people are profiting from death.

Pro-life

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