FREEDOM. TO BE YOU.

from 2008 to 2021, according to a study published last year. Price increases can skyrocket even higher for items such as epinephrine autoinjectors, a market dominated by EpiPen maker Viatris, a global pharmaceutical company.

“If you have very little competition in the market, the way the U.S. drug pricing system works is that the manufacturers get to set the price at which they want to sell the drug, and they can increase it whenever they so choose,” said Erin Taylor, a senior health care policy researcher at Rand Corp., a global policy think tank. “One way to shift costs back to health plans and manufacturers, and to help patients pay less for their drugs, is to apply these caps.”

The Colorado legislation would cap EpiPen copays for both insured and uninsured people starting in 2024. Almost 566,000 Coloradans have life-threatening food allergies, according to the bill. People can also have severe reactions to insect bites, medications, and latex.

“The need for EpiPens doesn’t discriminate based on who you are,” said state Rep. Iman Jodeh, a Democrat who is sponsoring the bill. “This unfortunate trend we were seeing of lifesaving medication being completely unattainable or out of reach for people is something that we are really trying to put an end to.”

Colorado was the first to limit

Copays For Insulin

In 2019, Colorado became the first state to enact a law that set a $100 limit on monthly copays for insulin, a hormone that regulates the blood sugar of people with diabetes.

Since then, 21 other states, plus Washington, D.C., have implemented laws limiting insulin costs. Congress imposed a $35 insulin copay cap for seniors on Medicare, and, in his recent State of the Union address, President Joe Biden called for expanding this cap to every American.

“Insulin has been the poster child of copay caps,” said Geoffrey Joyce, director of health policy at the University of Southern California Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.

However, the caps are an imperfect solution to high prescription costs. Decreasing the price of a drug for some insurance members means increasing premiums for others, said Taylor. “A cap doesn’t lower the list price of the drug, so somebody else has to pick up the difference,” she said. Caps also don’t address why drugs are so expensive in the first place.

Drug manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs — the go-between companies that negotiate with drugmakers on how much insurance plans and consumers will pay for drugs — both play a significant role in drug pricing, Joyce said. Besides pric- ing their products high enough to ensure a hefty profit, manufacturers often give PBMs a rebate in exchange for having their product included in the PBM’s list of preferred drugs, which influences what consumers buy. Rising rebates demanded by PBMs are associated with increasing prices for prescription drugs, according to a white paper by USC Schaeffer.

“Everybody has their hand in the trough,” said Joyce. In response to broader concerns about the drug pricing system, diabetes activists have been pushing for caps on insulin prices, not just copays.

It’s hard to say whether more states will follow Colorado’s lead and cap out-of-pocket costs for drugs like EpiPens, but there does seem to be a political appetite for controlling specialty drug costs, said Taylor.

“It bothers people fundamentally and ethically that these lifesaving drugs are inaccessible for people,” said Joyce. “People need access to these drugs.”

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

Public Notices

Please direct any questions concerning this RFQ to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor at 303660-7434 or criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Legal Notice No. 945072

First Publication: March 9, 2023

Last Publication: March 9, 2023

Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Public Notice

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) #006-23

ON-CALL COMMERCIAL PLUMBING SERVICES for DOUGLAS COUNTY FACILITIES

The Department of Facilities, Fleet, and Emergency Support Services of Douglas County, Colorado, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests responses from responsible and highly-qualified companies to provide on-call commercial plumbing services at various Douglas County facilities.

The RFQ documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com.

RFQ responses shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “RFQ #006-23, On-Call Commercial Plumbing Services for Douglas County Facilities” prior to the due date and time. Electronic and/or faxed responses will not be accepted. RFQ responses will be received until 3:00 p.m., on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 by the Douglas County Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. Responses will not be considered which are received after the time stated.

Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all responses, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said response and furthermore, to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the County to do so. Additionally, we reserve the right to negotiate optional items and/or services with the successful company.

Please direct any questions concerning this RFQ to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor at 303660-7434 or criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Legal Notice No. 945071

First Publication: March 9, 2023

Last Publication: March 9, 2023 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Children Services (Adoption/Guardian/Other)

DOUGLAS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT, STATE OF COLORADO 4000 Justice Way Castle Rock, CO Douglas County, CO 80109

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

In the Interest of:

TREVOR D. CARLSON, D.O.B.: 08/02/2013

Child,

And concerning: CRISTI CARLSON, a/k/a CRISTI LONG, D.O.B.: 10/20/1985, Mother; NICHOLAS SCHEETZ, D.O.B.: 06/11/1981, Possible Father; Respondents, And KURT DANIEL CARLSON, D.O.B.: 06/30/1956, Maternal Grandfather, Special Respondents.

Attorney for Department:

R. LeeAnn Reigrut, #28833 Angela Borkowski, #50088 4400 Castleton Ct. Castle Rock, CO 80109 (303) 814-5326

Fax: (303) 479-9259 lreigrut@douglas.co.us aborkowski@douglas.co.us

CASE NUMBER: 22JV30060

DEPENDENCY SUMMONS

This Summons is initiated pursuant to Rule 2.2 of the Colorado Rules of Juvenile Procedure, Rule 4 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, and Section 19-3-503, C.R.S. 2022.

TO: NICHOLAS SCHEETZ, D.O.B.: 02/03/1983

TO THE RESPONDENT NAMED ABOVE:

You are hereby notified that a petition has been filed which alleges that the above-named child is dependent or neglected as per the facts set forth in the Dependency and Neglect Petition, a copy of which may be obtained at the office of the Douglas County Attorney’s Office.

A Permanency Planning Hearing and Return of Service for Respondent Father Scheetz is scheduled for March 20, 2023 at 11:30 AM in Division 8, of the Douglas County District Court, 4000 Justice Way, Castle Rock, Colorado, 80109. Parties shall participate by calling 720-437-6180, extension 75590# unless otherwise indicated by the Court.

Your presence before this court is required to defend against the claims in this petition. IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR, THE COURT WILL PROCEED IN YOUR ABSENCE, WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE, TO CONDUCT AN ADJUDICATORY HEARING AND MAY ENTER A

JUDGMENT BY DEFAULT THEREBY ADJUDICATING YOUR CHILD AS A DEPENDENT OR NEGLECTED CHILD.

You have the right to request a trial by jury at the adjudicatory stage of this petition. You also have the right to legal representation at every stage of the proceedings by counsel of your own choosing, or if you are without sufficient financial means, appointment of counsel by the Court. Termination of your parent-child legal relationship to free your children for adoption is a possible remedy in this proceeding. If that remedy is pursued, you are entitled to a hearing before a Judge. You also have the right, if you are indigent, to have the Court appoint, at no expense to you, one expert witness of your own choosing at any hearing on the termination of your parent-child relationship. If you are a minor, you have the right to the appointment of a Guardian ad litem to represent your best interests.

You have the right to have this matter heard by a district court judge rather than by the magistrate. You may waive that right, and in doing so, you will be bound by the findings and recommendations of the magistrate, subject to review as provided by sec. 19-1-108(5.5), C.R.S. 2022, and subsequently, to the right of appeal as provided by Colorado Appellate Rule 3.4.

This summons is being initiated by the Douglas County Department of Human Services through its counsel. Dated: