Why We Say: Cap the Cost

As a mother of two children with near life-long severe allergies to peanuts and tree nuts, I feel compelled to be a resource and an advocate of  HB 23-1002, legislation addressing the need to lower the costs of epi-pen injectors.

My son, Jackson, is almost 15-years old, and my daughter, Ashley, is 11. As infants, both displayed severe allergic reactions, when peanuts were introduced into their diets. Ever since, we have had ongoing prescriptions for Epi-pens. Over the years, we have only used one Epi-pen when my son accidentally ate a Reese’s Pieces candy, at a holiday party. Otherwise, we have purchased annual sets of pens for YEARS, now in lots of two to keep one for home use and one for school (mandatory) for BOTH kids. The shelf-life of Epi-pen injectors is a period of about 12-months. Occasionally, we might get a coupon to lower the price, and we do have the “benefit” of health insurance coverage, but we assume each set of pens has cost $300-$500.

That is per child, per year, and with an extra for the school.

This is where being a financial professional and CFP® comes in handy! If we assume that both kids have had two sets of Epi-pens, since diagnosis at age 1, and that those pens cost $300 each, I have calculated that we have spent about $15,000 on these injectors. If I do a simple time value of money calculation, assuming a moderate rate of return of 6%, if we had invested these dollars for things like college, retirement, or into our business, those dollars amount to over $25,000! This is money that we would have at hand versus in a medical recycling bin somewhere, due to a 1-year expiration date.

We feel that we have had no way out of what seems like a vicious loop on replay year-after-year. We are aware that this injector’s costs are at a fraction of what we must pay. It is egregious and unfair to have exorbitant prices on a device that becomes a mandatory purchase upon diagnosis.

 Catch us in the news:

ABC7 Denver: https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/should-the-cost-of-epipens-be-capped-some-state-lawmakers-say-yes

FOX31 Denver: https://kdvr.com/news/politics/colorado-politics-news/bill-to-cap-epipen-at-60-advances-in-committee/

NBC9 Denver: https://www.9news.com/article/news/politics/cut-costs-epipens-coloradans/73-c3c4c1d3-4d4e-4739-8e7d-fa643116ce43

Colorado Newsline: https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/colorado-bill-to-cap-copay-of-epipens-advances-with-unanimous-committee-vote/

LPL Tracking #416046

Keri Pugh

Keri Pugh is a Wealth Advisor with Fusion Financial Group, an independent financial planning firm and fiduciary based in Denver, CO. Keri has over 20 years of experience in the industry, as both a financial advisor and Principal. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Northern Colorado and is an alumna with national sorority Delta Zeta. Keri holds a variety professional licenses, carries the esteemed mark of Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), meeting rigorous education and experience requirements in key areas of financial planning, as well as the designation of Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®), a symbol of her dedication to upholding the fiduciary standard for clients. As a wife and mother to two young children, Keri is particularly drawn to working with thriving families and women. This is not only reflected within her practice but also in her regular sponsorship of the local PTA and volunteer work with the elementary school. Outside of the office, Keri enjoys traveling, skiing, and the Colorado great outdoors with her family. She often lines up movie marathons for the family and, in line with many clients, is a beginner golfer and a wine enthusiast. To learn more about Keri, connect with her on LinkedIn.