Where Is PA’s Opioid Settlement Money Going?
The opioid crisis has rocked Western PA, devastating our friends, neighbors and families. Now, companies like Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, and others that made, sold or distributed prescription painkillers have been ordered to pay $50 billion over 18 years to deal with the damage. Pennsylvania is supposed to eventually get more than a billion of that. But how that money will be spent — and who exactly gets to decide – is still in flux. Spotlight PA investigative reporter Ed Mahon and KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani join us to share the latest and explain how members of the public can get involved.
Want to learn more? Check out Ed and Aneri’s reporting on public voices getting ignored in opioid settlement money decisions, Aneri’s story about corporations benefiting from settlement money, and Ed’s coverage of money going toward county prosecutors and coroners.
You can find Allegheny County’s opioid dashboard here.
Learn more about the sponsor of this September 18th episode:
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news?
- Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
- We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
- Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Stay connected to City Cast Pittsburgh and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
County Executive Sara Innamorato on New Taxes, Election 'Observers' & Paid Leave's Potential Windfalls
Will the county raise sales taxes to help fund our pension system? Should we be concerned about the federal election monitors arriving at...
Tax the Rich? Plus, Día de Los Muertos & Your Next Favorite Gym
Pittsburgh has a new proposal to tax the rich, Allegheny County’s fully paid parental leave policy is officially law, and local listeners...
Pittsburgh’s Top 10 Restaurants & What Makes Them Great
What makes a restaurant one of Pittsburgh’s best? Is it the food, the service, the atmosphere or something harder to put your finger on?...
Mallo Cup Lore, Hot Tamale Goss & More PA Candy Trivia
If you're planning to go trick-or-treating this weekend, a lot of your haul will probably be made right here in Pennsylvania. We have one...
‘Your City Could Be Better’: Is Chicago More Prepared for Climate Change Than Every Other City? — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
How prepared is Pittsburgh to deal with the effects of climate change? In a recent report, Chicago was ranked as the most climate resilie...
Garrity’s Slopaganda, Paid Leave Passes & How Pgh Humbled Emmanuel Macron
It’s official: Allegheny County council just passed a first of its kind paid parental leave policy. Host Megan Harris, executive producer...
Runaway Pelicans, Aging Ambulances & Waterproof Warhol Art
It's been a big week for Pittsburgh: two local innovations landed on Time Magazine's Best Invention list and a pair of animals made a dra...
Sports Bars & Specials for Steelers in Paris
The Steelers are heading to Paris to take on the New Orleans Saints this Sunday, but you don’t need to be in the City of Love (and tbh, y...
Could Ozempic Treat Addiction? Plus, Cryptid Hunting & Poll Worker Tips
Could GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy help people struggling with addiction? Pittsburgh is about to find out. A new $13.3 million stu...
Why Pittsburgh's at the Center of the Grocery Store War
For better or worse, Giant Eagle has long been the main grocery store in town — beloved for its sheetcakes, bemoaned for its high prices....