Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Smaller States Worry Sweeping $48B Opioid Settlement Won't Be Fairly Divided In Terms Of Need
Reuters: Several States Wary Of $48 Billion Opioid Settlement Proposal
Several U.S. states that have been ravaged by the opioid epidemic are pushing back on a proposed $48 billion settlement framework that would resolve thousands of lawsuits against five drug companies accused of fueling the addiction crisis. The proposal would bring an end to all opioid litigation against AmerisourceBergen Corp, Cardinal Health Inc and McKesson Corp, drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Inc, and Johnson & Johnson. (Hals and Raymond, 10/24)
The Washington Post: Governor: Ohio Making Plans To Divide Future Opioid Dollars
Some 100 lawyers and government officials from across Ohio have made a “positive start” on deciding how millions of dollars that communities might receive through national opioid litigation settlements should be spent, said Gov. Mike DeWine. DeWine said a meeting he convened Wednesday involving the state attorney general, lawyers for cities and counties and various state and local officials may serve as a national model. “Everyone had the same goal, which is really to be united and have a united front as we move forward in future negotiations,” the governor told The Associated Press in a phone interview. (Smyth, 10/24)
NPR: Citing Billions In Charity Care For Addiction, Some Hospitals Sue Drug Makers
While thousands of cities and counties have banded together to sue opioid makers and distributors in a federal court, another group of plaintiffs has started to sue on their own: hospitals. Hundreds of hospitals have joined up in a handful of lawsuits in state courts, seeing the state-based suits as their best hope for winning meaningful settlement money. (Farmer, 10/24)
NPR: What Are The Real Costs Of The Opioid Epidemic?
There's a reckoning underway in the courts about the damage wrought by the opioid crisis and who should pay for it. Thousands of cities and counties are suing drug makers and distributors in federal court. One tentative dollar amount floated earlier this week to settle with four of the companies: $48 billion. It sounds like a lot of money, but it doesn't come close to accounting for the full cost of the epidemic, according to recent estimates — let alone what it might cost to fix it. (Simmons-Duffin, 10/24)
The Associated Press: Meth Is Most Common Drug In Overdose Deaths In Chunk Of US
Fentanyl is driving drug overdose deaths in the U.S. overall, but in nearly half of the country, it's a different story. Meth is the bigger killer, a new government report shows. Nationwide, most deaths still involve opioid drugs like fentanyl and heroin. But in 2017, the stimulant meth was the drug most frequently involved in deaths in four regions that include 19 states west of the Mississippi. (Stobbe, 10/25)
Politico Pro: Fentanyl-Related Deaths Most Common In The East
Patterns of overdose deaths vary substantially by region, according to a new CDC analysis, with fentanyl — the biggest killer nationally — involved in most drug fatalities in the eastern half of the United States and methamphetamine highest in the West and Southwest. The report looked at the drugs most commonly involved in fatal overdoses nationwide and their prevalence in deaths for each of HSS' 10 regions in 2017. Drug-related deaths peaked at 72,000 that year. (Ehley, 10/25)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Opioid Crisis: Doctors Avoid Chronic Pain Patients, Need More Education
If you've been prescribed pain pills and think doctors are avoiding you as a new patient, you just might be right. A large percentage of primary-care doctors (81%) say they're hesitant to accept new patients who've been prescribed pain meds, a newly released survey shows. Even more (83%) say the opioid crisis makes it harder to treat pain patients. (DeMio, 10/24)
