Governor Brad Little and Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced today the final court approval of the $26 billion opioid agreement with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – and Johnson & Johnson.
Idaho will receive $119 million. It’s the second largest consumer settlement in state history behind the 1998 national tobacco settlement. A judge in Ada County approved the settlement Wednesday. In Idaho, all 44 counties, 24 municipalities and Idaho’s seven health districts have signed on the agreement. Based on the full participation of eligible Idaho entities, the state will receive the full share of the money available to it. Idaho could receive its first settlement payment in the next several weeks.
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division led Idaho’s involvement in the settlement, and negotiations took three years. A total of 49 states signed on to the agreement, which resolves more than 4,000 claims of state and local government across the country. Wasden continues to litigate against other opioid manufacturers as well as the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma.
All funds must be spent on opioid remediation programs. Under the Idaho Opioid Settlement Intrastate Allocation Agreement, opioid settlement funds will be divided with 40-percent going directly to participating counties and cities and 20-percent to regional public health districts. The remaining 40-percent will be allocated to the State-Directed Opioid Settlement Fund to be appropriated by the Idaho legislature based on recommendations by the Idaho Behavioral Health Council. (Governor’s Office)
