Meet the People Deciding How to Spend $50 Billion in Opioid Settlement Cash

KFF Health News: Meet the people deciding how to spend $50 Billion in opioid settlement cash

As more than $50 billion makes its way to state and local governments to compensate for the opioid epidemic, people with high hopes for the money are already fighting over a little-known bureaucratic arm of the process: state councils that…

Meet the People Deciding How to Spend $50 Billion in Opioid Settlement Cash

(LYDIA ZURAW/KFF HEALTH NEWS; GETTY IMAGES) Aneri Pattani July 10, 2023 As more than $50 billion makes its way to state and local governments to compensate for the opioid epidemic, people with high hopes for the money are already fighting over a little-known bureaucratic arm of the process: state councils that wield immense power over how the cash is spent. In 14 states, these councils have the ultimate say on the money, which comes from …