Texas man with severe COPD died by suicide after reported medication delay
Kenney Blewett, a 78-year-old Texas man with severe COPD, died by suicide days after a pharmacy reportedly delayed a newly prescribed medication while seeking insurance preauthorisation. His wife says his worsening health and repeated frightening flare-ups had become overwhelming; the account raises questions about how delays in processing prescriptions can affect people with serious illnesses.
Blewett’s pulmonologist prescribed the medication on 2 June, but Walgreens reportedly sought a diagnosis code to process it through Medicare Part B. His wife says the pharmacy told her it had requested the code, while the doctor said no request had arrived; she has not established which part of his insurance required preauthorisation. A second COPD medication ordered from the manufacturer arrived weeks after his death.
- Kenney Blewett died by suicide after severe COPD worsened.
- His newly prescribed medication was reportedly delayed over insurance processing.
- His wife is still seeking answers about what happened.
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COPD is a chronic lung disease that progressively makes breathing more difficult. People with severe COPD experience sudden episodes where they struggle to breathe, sometimes severely.
Kenney Blewett, a 78-year-old Texan with severe COPD, had new medication prescribed by his pulmonologist in June. The pharmacy delayed dispensing it whilst seeking insurance preauthorisation, creating confusion about whether the request had been properly made and received. His wife reported that his health worsened during this period, with repeated serious breathing difficulties.
The case raises questions about how delays in obtaining prescribed medications affect people with serious chronic illnesses. Insurance approval requirements can delay dispensing, which becomes particularly significant when someone is managing a severe condition.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Medication delays can be catastrophic for patients with severe COPD experiencing life-threatening flare-ups. When insurance bureaucracy delays treatment prescribed by a pulmonologist, the system has prioritised administrative convenience over patient safety, and vulnerable patients dependent on timely access suffer the consequences. Urgent reform is needed to ensure rapid approval for critical medications.
The case against
Whilst this death is tragic, we must be cautious. The story doesn't clearly establish who caused the delay or whether it caused the death—responsibility is ambiguous. Insurance preauthorisation serves purposes in cost control and prescribing safety. Attributing blame and making rapid policy changes without clearer evidence risks unintended consequences.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Texas man died by suicide days after Walgreens told him medication to treat terrifying lung condition had been delayed by insurance query”.