Saturday, February 01, 2025

Young Man Dies After Asthma Inhaler Price Goes Up $500

Cole Schmidtknecht (22) from Wisconsin died after an asthma attack when he couldn't afford to pay for his medication which suddenly rose in price from $66 to $539. Cole left Walgreens that day without filling his prescription because the insurance company wouldn't pay for it. In the days that followed, Cole repeatedly struggled to breathe and relied solely on an old emergency inhaler. Turning blue, his friend drove Cole to the hospital, but doctors were unable to save this young, happy good-looking man.

Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 05:51 AM | 16 COMMENTS | permalink

More

This is another outrageous example of the healthcare industry putting profits over people. The bereaved Schmidtknecht family filed civil lawsuits, but that won't bring their son back. Cole Schmidtknecht was killed by what Friedrich Engels called "social murder:" Death by indirect violence such as poverty, injustice, or political oppression.

Comments

What NYC jury would convict Luigi Mangione for whacking a greedy healthcare oligarch who made millions of dollars a year while poor people suffered and died from his company's deny, delay, and defer tactics? Poor Cole was just starting out in life at 22 when OptumRx screwed him over, leading to his untimely death and destroying his family.

#1 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-02-01 06:00 AM

#1 I predict Jury Nullification in his case. I might be wrong but I doubt it. Just sayin

#2 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-02-01 06:18 AM

Hi Laura Mohr, I concur about jury nullification with Luigi. NYS had some extraordinary cases of late, like Trumpf being sentenced to "unconditional discharge." And poor Cole was just 22 years old, barely starting his life. I was sickened reading his story.

#3 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-02-01 06:56 AM

Yup, best medical care system. In. The. World.

Keep believing that, as avarice kills us off.

#4 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-02-01 06:59 AM

Best country ever!

#5 | Posted by hamburglar at 2025-02-01 08:09 AM

Think of the money he'll save now.

#6 | Posted by fortfisher at 2025-02-01 08:24 AM

This kind of thing just makes me Sad.

Republican control of government will make these kind of things more frequent.

They really don't give a damn about anything but further enriching the already Rich.

Shareholder Value is the greatest possible Good.

The lives of the Citizens are less than an afterthought.

Revolution.....?

#7 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2025-02-01 08:33 AM

Think of the money he'll save now.

#6 | POSTED BY FORTFISHER

Hey s$&*bag, GFY.

#8 | Posted by jpw at 2025-02-01 09:08 AM

'Schmidtknecht went to his local Walgreens pharmacy on Jan. 10, 2024, to fill his prescription, he was informed that his medication was no longer covered by his insurance.'

More blood on the hands on the Biden/Harris admin.

#9 | Posted by gracieamazed at 2025-02-01 09:34 AM

More ridiculousness from Gracie. Why am I NOT surprised??

#10 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-02-01 09:41 AM

Hey Ms. Mohr, how much money do club members pay RCADE to get an alert every time I post so you can immediately respond.

#11 | Posted by gracieamazed at 2025-02-01 09:45 AM

Hey Ms. Mohr, how much money do club members pay RCADE to get an alert every time I post so you can immediately respond.

Posted by gracieamazed at 2025-02-01 09:45 AM | Reply

If it's any of your business I hang out in the Recent Comments section of the Retort.

#12 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-02-01 09:50 AM

That page should be renamed to 'LWN posts that don't end well'. You keep doing you.

#13 | Posted by gracieamazed at 2025-02-01 09:56 AM

More blood on the hands on the Biden/Harris admin.

#9 | POSTED BY GRACIEAMAZED

I suspect this will be a common refrain from this hag while her preferred politician f^*%s everything up seven ways from Sunday.

#14 | Posted by jpw at 2025-02-01 11:18 AM

This doesn't make any sense...

I have asthma and use an inhaler. I went a stretch where I couldn't get a doctor after mine left his practice.

I can go on TelyRX and get rescue inhalers for well less than $500... Just looked it up I can get a ProAir rescue inhaler, what he needed, for $40.

Sounds like another fear mongering article.

#15 | Posted by kwrx25 at 2025-02-01 11:20 AM

He needed a dozen inhalers?

#16 | Posted by fortfisher at 2025-02-01 11:25 AM

Drudge Retort Headlines

Staffing Was Not Normal in the Air Traffic Control Tower (121 comments)

Trump: Guantanamo Bay to Prepare to Host 30,000 Migrants (95 comments)

Trump Uses Deadly Plane Crash to Attack Diversity, Biden, Obama (55 comments)

Black History Month (28 comments)

Trump Golfs While Gas and Egg Prices Go Up (22 comments)

'We are the marks': Some Trump Fans Feel They've Been Had (21 comments)

Canada and Mexico Face 25% Tariffs on Saturday Says Trump (20 comments)

NPR Pulls Lid Off Pardoned MAGA Rioters' Rap Sheets (19 comments)

Trump to Impose Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China (18 comments)

Border Czar Upset Undocumented Know Their Rights (18 comments)