Over 18 years, more than $50 billion in settlement funds from pharmaceutical companies that made and sold opioid painkillers will be paid to state and local governments across the country. But the debate around how this money should be spent is just beginning. PBS NewsHour featured KFF Health News’ Aneri Pattani as it reported on how this debate is playing out in North Carolina and Ohio.
July 31
Aug. 1
Additional Reporting
- Click here to hear Pattani on NPR.
- Read Pattani’s “Repeating History: California County Plugs Budget Gap With Opioid Settlement Cash.”
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Payback: Tracking the Opioid Settlement Cash
Opioid manufacturers and distributors are paying more than $54 billion in restitution to settle lawsuits about their role in the overdose epidemic, with little oversight on how the money is spent. We’re tracking how state and local governments use — or misuse — the cash.
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