Tag #Medication Costs

What were the direct causes of Cole Schmidtknecht's death, and what immediate changes are needed to prevent similar tragedies?

Cole Schmidtknecht, a 22-year-old from Wisconsin, died from an asthma attack after the price of his inhaler increased from a $66 copay to $539. His parents filed a lawsuit, alleging that OptumRx, a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary, stopped covering his medication, leaving him unable to afford it. This resulted in five days of untreated asthma symptoms before his death.