It’s no secret that pharmaceutical companies are among the top ‘corporate villains’ of society, and a poor Wisconsin man was a victim of their schemes. 22-year-old Cole Schmidtknecht suffered from asthma, an illness commonly managed by frequently using an inhaler. Typically, his inhaler would have cost him $70, a hefty yet necessary expense to keep him alive. However, without warning, the medication’s price skyrocketed to over $500 per pop. Neither the insurance company nor the pharmaceutical company informed him or his doctor of this change. Unable to afford this overpriced inhaler, Schmidtknecht died from a severe asthma attack shortly after.
Schmidtknecht’s family in Wisconsin wasn’t going to take his death lying down. The parents are actively trying to sue the insurer for not contacting him about this 700%+ hike in pricing or giving him cheaper alternatives that could have saved his life. Needless to say, his death could have been easily prevented had the insurance company properly paid for his medication, regardless of the cost change, as his doctor prescribed the inhaler. While his family are the ones who are impacted the most by this situation, no one on the internet is happy about this situation either.
“This isn’t a “wrongful death,” this is a murder,” remarks a Reddit user. Another replied in agreement, saying, “Yes it is. Insurance companies are notorious for making changes on coverage without notice.” YouTube commenters feel the same way: “Sounds like murder by an insurance company.” And while the insurer indeed holds responsibility for the young Wisconsin man’s death, let’s not forget about the legalized criminal organization that enforced the price change to $500+ on a single inhaler.
“Asthma inhaler for over $500 is criminal,” states a commenter. “In a developed country, no one should die from asthma,” chimes in another. “‘Insurance company kills a 22-year-old’ is the title,” adds a third. The Schmidtknecht family can never get back the life of poor Cole, but hopefully, the insurer will pay for letting him due under its watch.
