Kenney Blewett, a long-time COPD patient in Kyle, Texas, died by suicide on June 7 after a nebulizer medication prescribed on June 2 was delayed amid an "insurance issue," his family says. Walgreens later said the claim lacked a diagnostic code needed for Medicare Part B billing; federal records showed no Part B claim. The case underscores confusion over Part B versus Part D billing, burdensome prior-authorization practices, understaffed pharmacies and concerns about AI pilots that could add complexity to approvals.
Texas Man With COPD Dies By Suicide After Insurance-Related Delay In Nebulizer Medication
A photo of Kenney Blewett on widow Cindy's laptop. Kenney, who was diagnosed with lung disease more than a decade ago, died by suicide in June. / Credit: Callie Richmond for KFF Health News
Trigger Warning: This article discusses suicide.
Kyle, Texas — Kenney Blewett, who had lived with chronic lung disease for more than a decade, died by suicide on June 7 after his family says a new nebulizer medication prescribed to ease frightening COPD flare-ups was delayed over an insurance-related issue.
What Happened
On June 2, Blewett's pulmonologist prescribed a liquid medication to be inhaled via the nebulizer he already owned. Two days later, Walgreens emailed the family saying the prescription was delayed "due to an insurance issue that we're working to resolve." According to Cindy Blewett, pharmacy staff later told the family the claim had been submitted to Medicare Part B but lacked a required diagnostic code; Medicare told the family it had no record the prescription was billed to Part B.
Cindy said she received inconsistent explanations when she sought answers from the pharmacy, the pulmonologist's office and the insurer. After Kenney's death, a Walgreens district supervisor told Cindy the pharmacy had attempted to process the prescription through Part B on June 2 and requested a diagnostic code the same day; a staff member at the pulmonologist's practice told Cindy they had not received a fax from Walgreens. Centene, the parent company of Wellcare Value Script (Kenney's Part D plan), declined to answer questions for this story. The pulmonologist did not respond to requests for comment.
Cindy Blewett at home in Kyle, Texas. Since her husband Kenney's suicide in early June, Cindy has tried to figure out how an insurance delay — which may have exacerbated her husband's anxiety and depression — could have been avoided. / Credit: Callie Richmond for KFF Health News
Medical And Insurance Details
The medication in question was a liquid inhaled through a nebulizer and—unusually for many drugs—would typically be billed under Medicare Part B as part of the durable medical equipment benefit rather than under a private Part D prescription plan. That distinction is frequently confusing for patients, clinic staff and pharmacists, experts say, and can lead to billing or authorization delays.
Walgreens told KFF Health News it "cannot comment on matters involving specific individuals." Cindy Blewett said a second COPD medication ordered directly from the drug’s manufacturer the day of the appointment arrived several weeks after Kenney’s death.
Policy Context
Insurance delays and denials are a persistent complaint in the U.S.; a January KFF Health Tracking Poll found nearly seven in 10 adults consider them a major problem. In June 2025, dozens of insurers signed a voluntary pledge to reduce barriers to care, but that effort carries no penalties for noncompliance. Separately, Medicare in January launched a pilot using artificial intelligence to preapprove some services in six states—Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington—which advocates warn could add new layers of complexity.
Family Reaction And Broader Concerns
Cindy Blewett said her husband had long struggled with his mental health and had attempted suicide years earlier; his worsening physical health had deepened his despair. She wonders whether timely access to both medications might have changed his decision. "Perhaps, just perhaps," she said, "if he had received both medications in a timely manner, he would be here today."
"Medicare has gotten so complex and convoluted that even medical office staff and pharmacy employees often misunderstand the nuances," said Mike Hess of the COPD Foundation.
Takeaway
The Blewetts' experience highlights how fragmented billing rules, prior authorization requirements and understaffed pharmacies can intersect to delay needed treatments—and how those delays can have devastating consequences for patients coping with serious illness and mental-health challenges.
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