![]() ![]() ![]() States lobbied Congress to forgo that claim. and state governments, federal authorities had a right to some of the settlement money. Since Medicaid is jointly funded by the U.S. Medicaid, a public insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities, was a leading payer. Those lawsuits aimed, in part, to recover health care costs for smoking-related illnesses. Matthew Myers, president of the nonprofit Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said it was a mistake for the federal government to take a back seat on the tobacco master settlement more than two decades ago. It's been adopted, at least in part, by 11 state legislatures and is being considered by two others.īut history suggests optional federal guidance may not be enough to ensure the money is used for its intended purpose. That's why the administration helped create a model law, as "a blueprint for states and communities on evidence-based ways to use opioid settlement funds," he said. "We know that expanding access to treatment for substance use disorder, lifesaving interventions like naloxone, and recovery support services will reduce the harms of addiction and the overdose epidemic," said Rahul Gupta, director of national drug control policy. Beating the opioid epidemic by disrupting drug trafficking and expanding access to treatment is one of the four pillars of Biden's " unity agenda." The Office of National Drug Control Policy told KFF Health News it regularly discusses the use of settlement dollars with governors, mayors, and other elected officials to ensure the money bolsters federal efforts already underway. But so far, "there hasn't been a lot of federal government action on the settlement." The Biden administration can issue official guidance, promote the findings of national research, or leverage the power of its purse strings. "There are opportunities to incentivize" and support state and local governments "in the right direction," says Michele Gilbert, a senior policy analyst with the think tank Bipartisan Policy Center. It is a tribute to some of the people who have died in the country's ongoing opioid epidemic. Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. The Faces of Fentanyl Memorial at the U.S. Public policy and health experts say a vacuum of federal leadership could lead to serious wasted opportunities and missteps in the use of the billions that will be paid out over nearly two decades - in what could be an unfortunate reprise of the multibillion-dollar 1998 settlement with tobacco companies. After all, states filed the lawsuits against companies that made, sold, or distributed opioid painkillers, including Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, and Walmart.īut there is an expectation that the federal government, including the nation's leading agencies on mental health and addiction, should play a role. The federal government is not legally obligated to engage in the discussion. And the settlement funds are mentioned just twice in a 150-page national strategy to reduce drug trafficking and overdose deaths. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has not released public statements about the settlements in over a year. No federal employee holds the title of opioid crisis accountability coordinator. The following year, the White House convened a meeting about the soon-to-be finalized settlements, noted that the money could support drug policy priorities, and helped create a model law that states could adopt in anticipation of receiving funds.īut today, as billions of dollars actually start to flow and state and local leaders make crucial decisions on how to spend the more than $50 billion windfall to tackle this entrenched public health crisis, the federal government has gone mostly quiet. Advocates want to make sure it is used to treat addiction.Įarly in President Joe Biden's tenure, his administration promised to play a key role in ensuring opioid settlement funds went toward tackling the nation's addiction crisis.ĭuring the 2020 campaign, Biden had laid out a plan to appoint an "opioid crisis accountability coordinator" to support states in their lawsuits against companies accused of sparking the overdose epidemic. ![]() Now, about $50 billion in settlement funds have begun to flow to state governments. States filed lawsuits against corporations involved in the opioid crisis. ![]()
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