Coloradans to pay less for insulin in 2020

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. -- Colorado is now the first state to cap the price of insulin at $100 a month, with the law going into effect Wednesday. One woman shares the extreme risks she took rationing her insulin and skipping doses because of how expensive it has been over the past few years.

Samantha Ketcham of Woodland Park has been diabetic for 18 years. A vial, no more than two inches tall, puts her back hundreds of dollars each month.

"I haven't really had to worry about insulin prices until I turned 18," she said.

She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at just four years old. Over the years, it became so unaffordable that Ketcham says she stopped taking the medication completely by the time she turned 16.

"It caused a lot of damage to my body," Ketcham said. "That's where I was at last month, [rationing] my insulin. And I'm thankful I have a lot of friends who are diabetic who have given me some of their insulin."

To avoid forcing people to choose between saving money or the drug they can't live without, Governor Jared Polis signed a new law earlier this year that places a $100 per month cap on insulin co-pays through insurance.

"I'm looking for affordable insulin. I'm not looking for someone else to pay for my medicine because it is my body and it is something my body needs, but I am looking for something I can afford," she said.

Ketcham hopes that Colorado's new law will serve as an example for other states.

"It's not just my money I'm worried about. I'm worried about my life. This is called the wasting disease. I hope this awakens people in other states that they need to cap the price of insulin," she said.

The law also enlists Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate the rising prices of insulin in the state and to report his findings to the legislature.