Kenney Blewett, a man from Kyle, Texas, was diagnosed with lung disease over a decade ago, but this year, he started experiencing flare-ups that made him feel like he couldn’t breathe. His wife, Cindy, described these episodes as “the scariest thing in the world,” and they had become more frequent.
On June 2nd, Kenney Blewett’s lung specialist prescribed a new drug to help manage his breathing problems from COPD, but the pharmacy couldn’t fill it right away because of an unresolved insurance problem that Walgreens was handling.
Cindy said her husband was hopeful that the medication would work, but they never got the chance to find out. Two days after the doctor’s appointment, Blewett received an email from Walgreens explaining the delay, and Cindy wasn’t initially surprised or worried, given that Walgreens had cut thousands of jobs after being acquired by a private equity firm.
When Cindy called the pharmacy to ask about the delay, she learned the prescription needed prior approval—a common practice where insurers demand permission before covering treatments. However, she didn’t know which of her husband’s insurance plans required this step for the medication.
Insurance Delays and Denials
Insurance delays and denials have become a major problem in the American healthcare system, with nearly 7 in 10 adults calling them “a major problem” in a January KFF Health Tracking Poll. The Trump administration announced a voluntary pledge by dozens of insurers to improve prior authorization, but the pledge carries no penalties if companies fail to comply.
Cindy has reached out to Medicare, her husband’s private Part D drug plan, his doctor’s office, and Walgreens, yet she still doesn’t understand who was responsible for the medication delay or how it could have been avoided.
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Cindy said her husband had battled mental health struggles for years and had once attempted suicide in the past. His worsening physical condition made things even harder, she explained. Kenney later confirmed this in a farewell note, praising her as a devoted wife and grandmother but admitting his health had become unbearable.
A second COPD medication, ordered directly from the manufacturer during his June 2 doctor visit, arrived weeks after Kenney’s death.
On the night of June 7, hours after her husband’s last COPD flare-up, Cindy Blewett was sitting on their back porch when she heard a loud noise, which she later discovered was a gunshot. She found her husband’s body in their bedroom, and she said, “I can’t tell you how horrible it was.”
Complexities of Medicare
Cindy Blewett still has questions about who was responsible for the medication delay and how the holdup could have been prevented. If the COPD flare-up Blewett experienced on the afternoon of Sunday, June 7, could have been avoided, she wondered, would he still have chosen to die by suicide that night?
AI Preapproval Pilot and Voluntary Insurer Pledge
In June 2025, six months after UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive was shot in New York, the Trump administration announced an industry pledge. Dozens of major insurers signed, promising to remove barriers that block or delay patients from receiving doctor-recommended care. The pledge is voluntary and carries no penalties for non-compliance. A July KFF Health News report found some signatories would not implement all promised actions.
If you or someone you know is facing a mental health crisis, reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting ‘988.’
