Michigan launched a new website that offers resources and information on the opioid settlement.
The website, michigan.gov/ag/initiatives/opioids, was created to help residents and local units of government find sources of information on opioid settlement distributions.
The website includes the following:
- Resources for people struggling with addiction and seeking help;
- Links to each of the settlement documents;
- An opioid settlement payment estimator, which outlines approximately how much the state, each county, and each participating municipality will receive year-by-year, by settlement, and in total;
- Links to the MDHHS site, which includes current state grants that service providers can apply for;
- Links to the Opioid Advisory Commission;
- Links to the Michigan Association of Counties Settlement Dashboard; and
- A highlight feature on how the money is being used across the state, including links to local dashboards, taskforces and strategic plans.
Michigan governments have been awarded more than $1.6 billion in the opioid epidemic through settlements with McKinsey & Co, Distributors (Cardinal Health, McKesson, Inc., and AmerisourceBergen), Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceutical, Allergan Pharmaceutical, CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens. The money is distributed to the state and local units of government to treat opioid-use disorder.
“When joining the national settlements, we knew we didn’t want a repeat of the tobacco settlements – where the money went into the General Fund and wasn’t directly spent on nicotine prevention and remediation – and we also didn’t want the money to get stuck in political limbo while local communities were hurting,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “I committed, not only to use the resources of my department to maximize the distribution amounts Michigan received, but to also serve as a resource to ensure the money is being spent on medically proven solutions which best meet the specific needs of each community. This website is just one part of that commitment.”
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), the state reported 2,998 overdose-related deaths in 2022. Between the years 2000 and 2020, the opioid death rate increased on average 13.9% each year.
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