FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky will receive $483 million from a multi-billion dollar settlement with opioid manufacturers.
What You Need To Know
- Kentucky will get $483 million from a settlement with opioid manufacturers as part of a $26 billion settlement
- Half of the money will go to the state and the other half will go to local governments
- The money will be spread out over the next 18 years
“While today marks the end of negotiations, it’s only the beginning of our healing,” Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said.
The money is Kentucky’s portion of a $26 billion settlement with Cardinal Health, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Johnson & Johnson.
Half of the money goes to the state, while the other half will benefit local governments.
Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor said the money will go far, but opioids have caused major long-term issues.
“Our detention center overcrowding, the impact on our first responders, the demand on our health care system, the impact on our workforce, and the fracture of our homes and families, to name a few,” he said.
And all of the money will go to programs aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic.
“It sends a message that we as a Commonwealth are united, and that we can tackle the big challenges, and that it’s time to put the epidemic behind us,” Cameron said.
Kentucky’s share of the money will be spread out over the next 18 years, as outlined by House Bill 427 from the 2021 session.