TUE AM News: Dem bill would cap out-of-pocket costs for asthma medication; UW study shows how genes play a role in efforts to quit smoking

April 22, 2025

— Two Appleton-area Democrats are seeking to limit the cost of asthma medications and related medical supplies, arguing the move would save lives and eliminate an “undue financial burden.”

Rep. Lee Snodgrass and Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim yesterday announced the legislation, which would limit monthly out-of-pocket costs of asthma inhalers and other asthma prescriptions to $25 for a one-month supply. It would also cap these costs for related medical supplies to $50 per month.

The announcement references the death of Appleton resident Cole Schmidtknecht last year, noting he wasn’t able to afford the cost of his inhaler after the price “skyrocketed” to more than $500. He reportedly went without an inhaler due to having to pay rent and then died from an asthma attack.

His parents, Shanon and Bil Schmidtknecht, have filed a lawsuit against United Healthcare subsidiary Optum Rx and Walgreens over their son’s death.

In a statement on the bill, Snodgrass says more people are being “forced to choose between essential medication and basic necessities” as the cost of living rises. She argues no one should have to forego emergency asthma care because the cost of their inhaler “went through the roof” without notice.

“This bill addresses a critical step towards ensuring asthma patients can afford the medicine they need without undue financial burden,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Dassler-Alfheim noted more than 500,000 Wisconsinites have asthma or another respiratory condition, adding “they deserve better than this.” She said four other U.S. states have already passed similar legislation.

“This legislation isn’t just going to save lives — it’s going to have an immediate impact on people’s bottom lines and on the overall health of our communities,” she said.

The release notes a voluntary program exists to cap the cost of asthma medications, but the lawmakers say they’re “unreliable” and aren’t available for every patient.

See the release.

— UW-Madison researchers found people with a high genetic risk for smoking addiction were “less likely to benefit” from a program aimed at helping them quit.

The research team was led by Associate Prof. Lauren Schmitz of the La Follette School of Public Affairs, and the paper was co-authored by UW-Madison Prof. Jason Fletcher. Schmitz says the study relies on advances in the field of “statistical genetics” to shed light on how genes and behavior interact “and hopefully improve treatment options.”

The study relied on data from the Lung Health Study, which was conducted between 1989 and 1994. It included more than 4,000 “heavy smokers” aged 35 to 60 that were diagnosed with early-stage lung disease and were “motivated” to quit smoking, according to the university.

Researchers found participants who had genetic variations that made them more susceptible to smoking addiction saw less benefit from a five-year smoking cessation intervention program.

“While we have intuitively understood for some time that genes likely play a factor in making it easy for some to quit smoking while difficult for others, we didn’t have the capabilities to test this until quite recently,” Schmitz said in a statement on the findings.

While smoking has become less popular in the United States over previous decades — falling last year to just 11% of adults reporting smoking recently — Schmitz notes tobacco use remains the top cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the country.

“Precision medicine approaches that tailor smoking cessation efforts to individuals’ genes could help improve cessation outcomes in high-risk smokers,” she said.

See more in the release.

— Fewer tobacco and vape retailers sold products to underage consumers last year, state health officials announced.

The state Department of Health Services says 11.8% of these retailers sold to underage customers in 2024, down from 13.6% in 2023. Those figures are from a statewide assessment of the “retailer violation rate,” called the Synar Survey. The latest surveys focused on sales to those under age 21, following a federal law change that raised the age of legal tobacco sales from 18 to 21 at the end of 2019.

That violation rate was 5.5% in 2019 and rose to its peak of 14.1% in 2021, according to DHS.

“We are glad to see a decline in overall sales of tobacco and vape products to underage kids, yet the rate remains too high,” State Health Officer Paula Tran said in a statement.

See the release.

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— Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy says the NFL is “embracing” Green Bay ahead of hosting the NFL Draft in the league’s smallest market beginning Thursday.

“I think because of that it means more to the community, particularly in terms of economic impact and the long legacy that this might leave for Wisconsin and Green Bay,” Murphy said on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “We’ll have a lot of people, we think 250,000, and you can see behind us the stage is really impressive.”

The Packers estimate the three-day event will bring a statewide economic impact of more than $90 million and $20 million within the Green Bay region.

“We want to make sure that we’re a good partner with the league and things are going well,” Murphy said. “The league has the final say, but we have had input and so many people in the organization here have been involved going back to when we first started petitioning and applying and talking to the league about possibly having a draft here.”

The bid took Murphy and Green Bay officials nearly a decade to secure. During that time the Packers made upgrades to Lambeau Field itself and pursued major land development around the stadium, which includes the Titletown district. The area will host events for fans during the draft.

“I think it was integral,” Murphy said. “I don’t think we would have the draft were it not for Titletown.”

Meanwhile, State Rep. David Steffen, R-Howard, says he’s confident lawmakers will approve an additional $1.25 million to help with public safety costs associated with hosting the event.

“It’s $1.25 million that will cover two-thirds of the public safety expenses related to hosting this event,” Steffen said. “Two-thirds of the economic benefit of this draft is happening outside of Brown County, and so it’s a reasonable ask when two-thirds of the benefits from outside Brown County, that two-thirds of the expense is also outside Brown County.”

The GOP request essentially mirrors the additional $1 million Gov. Tony Evers included in his state budget. State lawmakers had already previously approved $2 million for costs associated with hosting the event.

“Everyone knows when you host a party, it always costs more than you expect. And that’s certainly true here,” Steffen said. “The prices have, or the costs have increased from maybe what was initially thought a couple years ago. I think there’s also the reality that because the footprint is a little larger than some expected, the amount of activity that’s been required over a longer period of time have increased.”

Steffen said he’s confident the funding will be part of a final budget approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature and Evers.

“There is bipartisan support,” he said. “It’s just a matter of making sure that there’s a priority on the finance committee. I think even all the members of the finance committee understand this is a once-in-a-lifetime expense and that we’ll find a way to get this done.”

See more from the show and see another recent story previewing the NFL Draft.

— DATCP is urging NFL Draft attendees to look out for transportation scams, such as fake parking tickets or reservations.

The agency yesterday issued a warning that scammers may be selling fraudulent transit tickets or passes, seeking to take advantage of visitors that aren’t familiar with local transportation.

The release includes information on trustworthy transit options, such as the Green Bay Metro and a free shuttle service to local bars operated by the The Brown County Tavern League.

Meanwhile, those driving into town for the draft may be targeted by scammers with fake QR codes, which are used to trick smartphone users into sending sensitive information to fraudulent payment portals, DATCP says. Some scammers may take money for parking spots they aren’t authorized to sell, while others may use fake parking tickets to solicit payments.

See the release.

— Madison Area Technical College has announced Jennifer Berne will take over as president in July.

The announcement follows Jack E. Daniels III retiring earlier this year after leading the college for 11 years and a national search for his replacement. Berne, an author and current provost of Oakland Community College in Michigan, was chosen from four finalists.

Donald Dantzler, Jr., board chair for the college, says the board is “deeply impressed by Dr. Berne’s unwavering commitment to student success, teaching and learning, and readiness to continue advancing the college’s strategic goals.”

Interim President Tim Casper will go back to being executive vice president for student affairs after July 1.

See the release.

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