MANY MINDEDInsurance Delay in COPD Medication Linked to Preventable Death
Kenney Blewett died by suicide in June 2026 after experiencing severe COPD flare-ups that left him unable to breathe. He had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease over a decade prior and lost 45 pounds in the months before his death. On June 2, 2026, his pulmonologist prescribed medication covered under Medicare Part B’s durable medical equipment benefit. Walgreens delayed filling this prescription for two days due to an insurance issue, per an email notification. Blewett was covered by Medicare Parts A and B, a private Part D plan with Wellcare Value Script, and a Medigap plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. The delay occurred because the medication was covered under Part B, not Part D—a distinction Walgreens’ prior authorization process failed to resolve. Walgreens had cut thousands of jobs since its acquisition by a private equity firm, per the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. While the Trump administration pledged in June 2025 to improve prior authorization, a July 2026 KFF report found signatory insurers did not implement all promised changes. A January 2026 KFF poll showed 70% of U.S. adults identified insurance delays as a major problem. This incident highlights how administrative gaps in coverage design can trap patients in life-threatening situations. What matters next: Insurers must fully implement the June 2025 pledge to prevent similar delays. KFF confirms this case represents one incident, not the cause of all insurance-related deaths, and implementation gaps remain a key risk.
Source: KFF Health News