Readers Speak Out on Work Requirements, Federal Data Grab, Opioid Payback Cash
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Substance Misuse
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A Federal Policy Is Complicating How Organizations Battle the Opioid Crisis
Drug test strips are credited with saving lives, but a new policy will limit how funds can be used for them. Advocates of harm reduction strategies who responded to a mass overdose in Baltimore say distributing them will get harder. Federal officials say the strips enable drug use.
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Budget Battle Erupts in Nation’s Capital Over Opioid Settlement Money
Washington, D.C.’s 2027 fiscal-year blueprint reflects a debate playing out around the U.S.: whether opioid settlement money should be used to free up taxpayer dollars by paying for existing responsibilities instead of new programs.
By Rachel Spears and Aneri Pattani -
Leadership Vacuum: Agencies in New York and Beyond Pass the Buck on Opioid Cash Oversight
The opioid settlements are a multibillion-dollar windfall with only loose spending suggestions rather than strict requirements. Some people directly affected by the crisis want stronger guardrails. But New York state’s experience highlights the challenge in finding a fiscal watchdog.
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Opioid Settlement Money Pays for Services To Battle Addiction in Rural Kentucky
A program in rural eastern Kentucky is receiving opioid settlement funding to address substance use disorders, housing, hunger, and other challenges.
By Taylor Sisk -
At a Tennessee Hospital, a Nurse Stole Fentanyl and AI Missed It, State Records Say
Sentri7, drug diversion software powered by artificial intelligence and used at hundreds of U.S. hospitals, did not catch a months-long string of fentanyl thefts in Tennessee in 2025, according to a state document.
By Brett Kelman and Darius Tahir -
Efforts To Understand the Nation’s Drugged Driving Problem Stall Under Trump
The data behind alcohol-related traffic deaths is well studied. Less understood is the toll of vehicle deaths involving drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol. Attempts to fix that have been stymied by federal budget and staffing cuts.
By Jace DiCola -
Trump’s Drug Strategy Aims To Bolster Addiction Services — Despite Gutting of Government Support
The White House’s strategy for tackling the drug and addiction crisis, released this week, sets lofty public health goals but highlights deep inconsistencies with the administration’s own funding cuts and other policies.
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When Natural Disasters Strike, Another Crisis Hits Those Recovering From Opioid Addiction
Using Hurricane Helene as a teachable moment, a group of doctors outlined concrete steps that lawmakers can take to reverse a crisis in getting substance use medications during natural disasters.
By Andrew Jones -
Readers Sound Off on Wage Garnishment, Work Requirements, and More
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
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Maker of Device To Treat Addiction Withdrawal Seeks Counties’ Opioid Settlement Cash
Some researchers and recovery advocates see the NET device as the latest in a series of products pitched as the solution to the addiction crisis that have been overhyped to capitalize on money from the opioid settlements.
Culture Wars Take Center Stage
Episode 429With lawmakers still mired over renewing enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, much of Washington has turned to culture war issues. Meanwhile, “confusion” remains the watchword at HHS as personnel and funding decisions continue to be made and unmade with little notice. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” report.
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Thrift Store. Clinic. Roller Rink. Center Becomes ‘Radical’ Lifeline Amid Homelessness, Drug Crises.
Located in the Lower 9th Ward, this abandoned building has become a community sanctuary and resource.
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In Lodge Grass, Montana, a Crow Community Works To Rebuild From Meth’s Destruction
Meth is a problem most everywhere, but particularly in Indian Country. On the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, new buildings serve as symbols of a town trying to rebuild after being devastated by addiction.
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Inside the Battle for the Future of Addiction Medicine
The experiences of one doctor in Louisiana reveal the tensions around trying to get people to engage in addiction treatment, even if they’re not ready to stop using drugs.
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Criminally Ill: Systemic Failures Turn State Mental Hospitals Into Prisons
There has been a steep rise in the share of people with severe mental illnesses being sent to state psychiatric hospitals on court orders after being accused of serious crimes. The shift has all but halted patients’ ability to get care before they have a catastrophic crisis.
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Washington’s Homeless Hide in Plain Sight, Growing Sicker and Costing Taxpayers More
The White House says encampment sweeps have enhanced the capital, but city leaders estimate nearly 700 homeless people roam by day and bed down outdoors by night. Some have scattered to the suburbs while others avoid detection, making it hard for medical providers to care for them.
By Angela Hart -
Narcan, Drones, and Concerts: How Governments Spent Opioid Settlement Windfalls
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
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Sock Hops and Concerts: How Some Places Spent Opioid Settlement Cash
States, counties, and cities are receiving millions in opioid settlement money to address the addiction crisis. The ways they spent the dollars in 2024 sometimes drew criticism from advocates and at least one state official, who alleged misuse.
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From Narcan to Gun Silencers, Opioid Settlement Cash Pays Law Enforcement Tabs
Local governments have received hundreds of millions of dollars from the opioid settlements to support addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention efforts. Their spending decisions in 2024 were sometimes surprising and even controversial. Our new database offers more than 10,500 examples.