A Wisconsin family is grieving the loss of their 22-year-old son, Cole Schmidtknecht after he died of a severe asthma attack. His parents, Shanon and William Schmidtknecht are now suing Walgreens and OptumRx, claiming their son’s death could have been prevented if not for the sudden skyrocketing cost of his asthma medication.
Asthma Maintenance Inhaler Becomes Unaffordable
Cole had lived with chronic asthma since childhood and relied on the Advair Diskus inhaler to control his condition. For years, his monthly out-of-pocket cost for the medication ranged from $35 to $66.86. But on January 10, 2024, when Cole went to refill his prescription at a Walgreens in Appleton, Wisconsin, he received devastating news: the cost of his inhaler had surged to $539.19 due to a lack of insurance coverage.
Unable to afford the sudden price hike, Cole left the pharmacy without the medication he needed to prevent asthma attacks.
The Fatal Asthma Attack
Without his maintenance inhaler, Cole relied on his rescue inhaler, a temporary solution intended for emergencies. Just five days later, on January 15, he experienced a severe asthma attack. His parents rushed him to the hospital, but Cole became unresponsive on the way there. Despite being placed on life support, he never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead on January 21, 2024.
“We couldn’t believe it,” said Shanon. “How could this happen because of the cost of a medication?”
Family Seeks Justice Through Legal Action
The Schmidtknecht family has filed a federal lawsuit against OptumRx, the pharmacy benefits manager that handled Cole’s insurance, and Walgreens. The suit alleges that OptumRx failed to provide the required 30-day notice of the price change, leaving Cole without time to explore alternatives. They also argue that Walgreens failed to offer cheaper alternatives or contact his doctor about other options.
“We believe this could have been prevented if Cole had known ahead of time or been given a different option,” the family’s lawyer said.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and aims to hold the companies accountable for their role in Cole’s death.
A Broader Issue: The Cost of Life-Saving Drugs
Cole’s death has sparked a national conversation about the rising cost of prescription medications. Asthma affects more than 25 million Americans, many of whom require regular medication to control symptoms. Lawmakers, including Senator Tammy Baldwin, have launched investigations into pharmaceutical pricing practices, urging greater transparency and affordability for life-saving treatments.
What’s Next?
The Schmidtknecht family hopes their lawsuit will bring awareness to the life-or-death consequences of unaffordable medications. As the legal case moves forward, advocates are calling for stricter regulations to prevent similar tragedies.
For now, Cole’s parents are left mourning their son and fighting to ensure no other family experiences the same devastating loss. “No one should lose their life because of the cost of medicine,” said Shanon. “It’s heartbreaking, and it’s preventable.”