Cole Schmidtknecht was just 26 years old when he went to a Walgreens pharmacy to refill his asthma inhaler.

Because his medication had been quietly dropped from his insurance formulary, the medication that had formerly cost him less than $70 at his Appleton, Wisconsin pharmacy was now priced at more than $500.

He walked away without it. 5 days later, he died from an asthma attack.

Cole’s parents are now pushing for change — and they need our support.

They’re calling for new legislation that would require a 90-day warning before insurance companies change a medication’s coverage. They’ve also filed a lawsuit against:

Optum Rx, the pharmacy benefit manager that removed Cole’s asthma medication (Advair Diskus) from his insurance formulary
Walgreens, the pharmacy that, they say, failed to offer any backup treatment or emergency solution
 

No one should die in the United States for being unable to afford life-saving medication. No family should have to sue for accountability after losing a child to corporate negligence.

We call on Congress, the Department of Health and Human Services, and state regulators to:

• Pass the 90-day formulary change notification requirement
• Enforce emergency protections requiring pharmacies to offer alternatives or access plans when essential medications are denied
• Hold PBMs and pharmacies accountable for system failures that cost lives
• Cap the price of life-saving medications like asthma inhalers
   

Cole should still be here.