Following the unexpected death of 22-year-old Cole Schmidtknecht from an asthma attack after he was unable to pay for his prescription inhaler because of a sharp price hike, a family in Wisconsin is speaking out.
Schmidtknecht used a corticosteroid inhaler to treat his chronic asthma, which he had had since he was a little child. His family claims that after his insurance company dropped his prescription from coverage, he was astonished to discover that the cost had increased from $66 to over $500 when he tried to refill it last month. Schmidtknecht apparently attempted to ration what little was left of his old inhaler since he could not afford the prescription.
He experienced a severe asthma episode at home on January 28. He was put on life support and passed away six days later in spite of immediate medical attention. Devastated by the loss, his parents are now calling for more regulation of prescription drug prices, claiming that no one should have to choose between having access to life-saving medicine and facing financial difficulties.
Speaking through tears, his mother claimed that if the drug had remained reasonably priced, her son’s death may have been avoided. The case has brought attention to insurance limits and growing medicine costs, which frequently leave patients unable to pay for therapies that are vital to their survival.
The family is advocating for legislative measures that would limit prescription drug expenses and mandate that insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies give prior notice when changes to coverage affect necessary prescription drugs. In an effort to stop such tragedies, local advocacy groups have also united in support of their cause and urged politicians to act immediately.
Schmidtknecht’s family hopes that their tragedy will result in measures to guarantee others do not experience the same fate as the prescription drug pricing discussion heats up.