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Fox Valley family sues over son's fatal asthma attack after medication cost increased 700 percent
Health, News
Fox Valley family sues over son’s fatal asthma attack after medication cost increased 700 percent
Cole Schmidtknecht chose to pay his rent instead of more than $500 for his inhaler
By Corrinne Hess
January 31, 2025
Updated February 3, 2025 at 4:32 pm
Cole Schmidtknecht died last year after suffering a severe asthma attack. Photo courtesy of Patient Protector
Cole Schmidtknecht lived with chronic asthma since he was an infant, using an Advair Diskus inhaler daily to manage the pulmonary disease.
The medication was covered by his health insurance, costing between $35 and $66.86 per month. ... Until Jan. 10, 2024. ... That’s when a pharmacist at a Walgreens in Appleton told Cole the medication was no longer covered by his insurance.
Without that insurance coverage, the out-of-pocket cost for the inhaler was $539.19. Cole left, without the medication or an option for a generic version. ... Five days later, Cole, 22, had a severe asthma attack. He died on Jan. 21, 2024.
A new federal lawsuit filed by Cole’s parents, Shanon and Bil Schmidtknecht of Poynette, alleged the 700 percent increase in the cost of the inhaler caused their son’s death.
{snip}
Fox Valley family sues over son’s fatal asthma attack after medication cost increased 700 percent
Cole Schmidtknecht chose to pay his rent instead of more than $500 for his inhaler
By Corrinne Hess
January 31, 2025
Updated February 3, 2025 at 4:32 pm
Cole Schmidtknecht died last year after suffering a severe asthma attack. Photo courtesy of Patient Protector
Cole Schmidtknecht lived with chronic asthma since he was an infant, using an Advair Diskus inhaler daily to manage the pulmonary disease.
The medication was covered by his health insurance, costing between $35 and $66.86 per month. ... Until Jan. 10, 2024. ... That’s when a pharmacist at a Walgreens in Appleton told Cole the medication was no longer covered by his insurance.
Without that insurance coverage, the out-of-pocket cost for the inhaler was $539.19. Cole left, without the medication or an option for a generic version. ... Five days later, Cole, 22, had a severe asthma attack. He died on Jan. 21, 2024.
A new federal lawsuit filed by Cole’s parents, Shanon and Bil Schmidtknecht of Poynette, alleged the 700 percent increase in the cost of the inhaler caused their son’s death.
{snip}