Health Insurance Issues Leave Asthma Patient Facing High Medication Costs
Cole Schmidtknecht, a 22-year-old asthma patient, faces a significant increase in medication costs after his health insurance ceased coverage, leading to a $539.19 charge for Advair Diskus.
Cole Schmidtknecht, 22, has battled asthma since infancy, managing his symptoms with the help of Advair Diskus, a preventative inhaler he took daily. He filed a lawsuit in federal court last week, stating that since 2023, his employer-provided health insurance covered this medication, costing him no more than $66.86 monthly.
However, during a visit to his local Walgreens pharmacy on January 10, 2024, to refill his prescription, Schmidtknecht was informed that his insurance had stopped covering Advair Diskus. The pharmacy quoted a price of $539.19 for the medication out of pocket, leaving Schmidtknecht with no affordable options.
According to the lawsuit, the pharmacy failed to provide any cheaper alternatives or generic versions of the medication. Furthermore, it claims that the pharmacist did not contact Schmidtknecht's physician or insurance company to help find a solution.
