AHA Statement on Ohio Opioid Lawsuit Settlement

Tom Nickels
Executive Vice President
American Hospital Association

October 21, 2019

America’s hospitals and health systems have been on the frontlines caring for patients and families from the very beginning of the opioid epidemic. The settlement announced today should ensure that a good portion of funds goes directly to the hospitals and health systems that have been and will continue to provide care to patients and their families for years to come. Doing otherwise risks repeating the mistakes of the national tobacco settlement, which too often failed to direct funds to those most in need.

Additional resources will support hospitals in continuing to treat patients and their families as well as pursue services to expand access to post-overdose treatment in emergency departments; increase training of physicians to treat substance use disorder; cover the costs of lengthy stays and follow-up care for infants with neonatal abstinence disorder; and invest in electronic health information systems to improve coordinated care and prevent overprescribing.

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Contact:         Marie Johnson, (202) 626-2351

                       Sean Barry, (202) 626-2306