LISTEN: Big cuts to Medicaid mean some states will have to scramble to keep offering treatment for addiction. KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani appeared on WAMU\u2019s \u201cHealth Hub\u201d on Jan. 14 to explain why addiction care advocates worry opioid settlement money could end up plugging holes in state budgets instead of fighting the nation\u2019s opioid crisis.<\/p>\n
More than $50 billion<\/a> in opioid settlement funds \u2014 meant to help curb the nation\u2019s addiction crisis \u2014 is going to local and state governments. But because of lax reporting rules and little guidance on what\u2019s appropriate, the money is generally being spent with next to no accountability<\/a>.<\/p>\n Survivors of the overdose epidemic and families who lost loved ones to it are calling for stricter rules to govern how the payout can be used.<\/p>\n Senior correspondent Aneri Pattani appeared on WAMU\u2019s \u201cHealth Hub\u201d to talk about a new tool from KFF Health News, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Shatterproof that tracks opioid settlement funds.<\/p>\n KFF Health News audio producers Zach Dyer and Taylor Cook contributed reporting to this segment.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrom Narcan to Gun Silencers, Opioid Settlement Cash Pays Law Enforcement Tabs\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNov 3, 2025\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSock Hops and Concerts: How Some Places Spent Opioid Settlement Cash\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNov 3, 2025\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t KFF Health News<\/a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF\u2014an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t\tRelated Coverage\t<\/h4>\n
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