After years of legal battles, General Lawyer General received billions of dollars in the settlement of Pharmaceuticals, which caused a crisis. They declared their victory at the press conference, and some were trading in the Governor’s campaign.
But is the lawyer enough to be used for intended purposes because the windfall is now being spent?
Many families affected by overdose crisis, recovery and damage reduction advocates, policy experts and many families affected by researchers under cash.
“This is a blood money. I died of overdose At the age of 24. I can’t replenish my lost life, but “we want to see if it will be calculated.”
Other people who are affected by Torsch and crisis are hungry for the elected officials. The Trump administration raised federal funds for addiction and the Congress approved large -scale reduction in Medicaid. Maximum payment for addiction treatment Nationwide -People are afraid that members of the state will use the agreement as a windfall bag to fill the budget shortage.
In the face of these concerns, two research and advocates are proposing a solution.
that Opioid Policy Research Institute and Popular democracy It was released Website This allows the public to submit the cases of waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct of the Opioid Settlement Fund. The submission is reviewed Jonathan stall onlyDirector Institute of the Opioid Policy Institute posted with detailed information such as the amount of money, the purchase, the decision, the related news article or the budget document.
DatabaseThe first shared with KFF Health News includes about 150 cases, including $ 2,362 awarded by Missouri County to the roads and bridge departments, and $ 375,600 spent on the body scanner in Michigan County Prison. In the initial case, they asked for recovery, advocates and other people and STOLTMAN and his team to test the project. Stoltman admitted that he would face criticism as a major mediator of misuse of a database, but he said he would defend his decision using research.
The website also shows how to complain to the Law Secretary of State, and asks them to develop formal procedures for receiving and investigating such complaints in the office.
Frank Kearl, who jointly works with STOLTMAN and works as a lawyer in public democracy until July 14, said, “I hope this will be the morning call to the state AGS that does not end their work on this project.
The launch of the website has been over a week since the New Jersey members passed the budget. It gave $ 45 million to the health system Consensus Fund despite the state Opposition party. Legislators said they would protect the hospital with a blow to the federal Medicide cut. The advocates of the damage reduction said It provides short shops for people with disorders of use of substances to serve money.
member North Carolina and Washington DC, In addition, we are considering blocking the gap using payment funds. Connecticut And Nevada discussed it.
Torsch, who runs a non -profit organization for the recovery of his son’s honor, said, “This is not there.” We want to spend money in the most responsible and effective way to help those who are still having trouble. “
Last year, when Torsch heard that Western Maryland County spent a gun, she contacted the state minister and complained. The office is not responsible, Torsch told the Ministry of Health to contact the Ministry of Health.
She was confused.
Torsch told KFF Health News.
The Maryland Attorney General has refused to respond to KFF Health News’s questions about how to deal with opioid agreement.
About 12 companies It is expected to pay more than $ 50 billion to the state and local governments at Opioid settlement for almost 20 years. There are still examples of the best known Purdue Pharma. Path. But other companies, including Johnson & Johnson, CVS Health and Walgreens, have been paying.
There are many details of each consensus transaction, but in most states, more than 85% of the money should be used for efforts related to the opioid crisis. But execution is I left it to the company I paid for it. Legal experts are skeptical that the company is monitoring its spending.
Stoltman at the Opioid Policy Institute said that the lawyer also needs to implement the standard. “If you try to put your heart on how much money you have made for the Lord for Opioid, what are you doing to be really good?”
Stoltman and Kearl’s team Lawyer general office to investigate In 56 states and territory, each office of each office checked if there was a complaint format for this money pot, explained the details needed to report misuse, and allowed the submarizer to track the complaints. We also searched for complaints or procedures on the websites of state auditors, managers and similar institutions.
Their discovery? Only three states mentioned a specific procedure to report the misuse of opioid settlement funds.
South Carolina and New Jersey There was a link to a website related to payment that instructs people in general complaints. Oklahoma was the only state Opioid Settlement-specific form.
JILL NICHOLS, the Attorney General’s Attorney General’s Response and subsidy coordinator Jill Nichols, said that it was created in April as a response to the researcher’s investigation. As of the end of June, she received one complaint, which was found to have no advantages.
STOLTMAN and Kearl hopes that the crowdsourced database will encourage more lawyers to play an active supervisor by explaining how much misuse of potential misuse is occurring.
The Michigan Justice Minister’s office said it plans to publish a complaint about agreement this year.
But some attorney generals said that it was not his job to track how money spends on KFF Health News.
Pennsylvania’s lawyer, David, a spokesman for Brett Hambright, is a state. Opioid settlement committee I take responsibility.
Attorney General JEFF JACKSON said in North Carolina that it controls consensus funds by the state council and local government. “Our office does not manage funds, and we don’t have the authority to withhold funds.”
Even if the lawyer monitors the money closely, their power can be limited. For example, Kris Mayes, Arizona, went to court last year. But A The judge ruled against her.
Maryland Lawyer Anthony Brown’s office instructed other state agencies to ask KFF Health News.
Michael Coury, a spokesman for Maryland’s overdose office, said that the public can send an email to the office with complaints. If the office agrees that misuse has occurred, the complaints will be brought to the Attorney General. Lord’s contract with local governments -Take the “May” action.
As of this year, the Minister of Justice You will receive $ 1.5 million Maryland’s Opioid Agreement Fund every year to cover the number of people and management costs related to opioid litigation. This may include suing more companies for future agreements.
Maryland’s mother, Torsch, said he hopes that the cost of settlement will be well spent, rather than getting more money.
“We owed all the families who were destroyed and lost,” she said.
