A Wisconsin couple is suing Walgreens and pharmacy benefits manager OptumRx, claiming their son’s death was caused by an unexpected $500 price hike in his asthma medication.
Shanon and William Schmidtknecht, from Poynette, filed the lawsuit in Milwaukee federal court on January 21—marking one year since their 22-year-old son, Cole, passed away.
Cole had asthma since childhood and treated it with daily doses of Advair Diskus or its generic version. On January 10, 2024, he went to a Walgreens in Appleton to refill his prescription. He was shocked to learn that the out-of-pocket cost had risen from $66 to $539. Unable to afford the new price, Cole left without the medication. He attempted to manage his asthma with a rescue inhaler, but days later, he suffered a fatal asthma attack.
The Schmidtknechts allege that OptumRx, the pharmacy benefits manager, violated Wisconsin law by increasing the medication price without a valid medical reason and without giving a 30-day notice of the price change.
OptumRx serves over 66 million people, acting as a middleman between pharmacies, health insurers, and drug companies.
According to the lawsuit, Walgreens staff failed to offer alternatives or assist Cole in securing the medication at a lower price. They also did not contact OptumRx or Cole’s doctor to request an exception.
The family’s attorney, Michael Trunk, condemned the actions of both companies. “The evidence will show that both OptumRx and Walgreens put profits first and are directly responsible for Cole’s death,” he said.
OptumRx responded by stating that Cole did purchase a different asthma medication, generic Albuterol, for a $5 co-pay on the same day. They added that the situation was handled according to industry standards.
However, Trunk clarified that the $5 medication was for Cole’s rescue inhaler, not the Advair Diskus he needed daily. He emphasized that Cole could not afford the higher price for his regular asthma medication.
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