@aneripattani.bsky.social
Reporter @KFFHealthNews.bsky.social covering mental health & substance use. Teaching safe suicide reporting. Dessert lover & permanent dance student. Tips: anerip@kff.org
Missouri auditor recommends better oversight for opioid settlement spending after First Alert 4 reporting www.firstalert4.com/2025/11/13/m...
Missouri auditor recommends better oversight for opioid settlement spending after First Alert 4 reporting
Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick recommended this month that the state legislature consider a law to oversee hundreds of millions of dollars in opioid settlement spending across the state.…
www.firstalert4.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Missouri auditor recommends better oversight for opioid settlement spending after First Alert 4 reporting www.firstalert4.com/2025/11/13/m...
Reposted
🔔 When Trump posted a video of budget director Russell Vought as the grim reaper, public health workers recognized a kernel of truth.
My latest piece @kffhealthnews.org couldn't be more important. Art by the incredible @oonazenda.bsky.social
🧵
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
My latest piece @kffhealthnews.org couldn't be more important. Art by the incredible @oonazenda.bsky.social
🧵
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Wielding Obscure Budget Tools, Trump’s ‘Reaper’ Vought Sows Turmoil in Public Health - KFF Health News
Through shrouded bureaucratic maneuvers, White House budget director Russell Vought and DOGE have quietly upended outbreak response, HIV treatment, and dementia care in communities across America.
kffhealthnews.org
November 7, 2025 at 1:37 PM
🔔 When Trump posted a video of budget director Russell Vought as the grim reaper, public health workers recognized a kernel of truth.
My latest piece @kffhealthnews.org couldn't be more important. Art by the incredible @oonazenda.bsky.social
🧵
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
My latest piece @kffhealthnews.org couldn't be more important. Art by the incredible @oonazenda.bsky.social
🧵
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
I got to speak with @cbsnews.com about a recent investigation by @kffhealthnews.org @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social & @shatterproofhq.bsky.social into how states & localities are spending billions in opioid settlements. Hint: The words tasers, drones, & sock hop come up. www.cbsnews.com/video/invest...
Opioid settlement money being used to fund law enforcement across U.S., investigation finds
Over the past two decades, state and local governments have been able to secure more than $50 billion in settlement money related to the opioid epidemic. A new KFF Health News investigation found that...
www.cbsnews.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:25 PM
I got to speak with @cbsnews.com about a recent investigation by @kffhealthnews.org @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social & @shatterproofhq.bsky.social into how states & localities are spending billions in opioid settlements. Hint: The words tasers, drones, & sock hop come up. www.cbsnews.com/video/invest...
🧵Is opioid settlement $ living up to its promise? @kffhealthnews.org @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social & @shatterproofhq.bsky.social built a database showing 10,500+ ways it was spent—or not—last year, from treatment & housing to police drones & a drug awareness magician kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
From Narcan to Gun Silencers, Opioid Settlement Cash Pays Law Enforcement Tabs - KFF Health News
Local governments have received hundreds of millions of dollars from the opioid settlements to support addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention efforts. Their spending decisions in 2024 were some...
kffhealthnews.org
November 3, 2025 at 2:45 PM
🧵Is opioid settlement $ living up to its promise? @kffhealthnews.org @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social & @shatterproofhq.bsky.social built a database showing 10,500+ ways it was spent—or not—last year, from treatment & housing to police drones & a drug awareness magician kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Great project from @bakerinstitute.bsky.social tracking how the 21 largest local govts in Texas are spending their opioid settlement money. These localities have no reporting requirements, so researchers are filling a critical gap in public knowledge here. rice1.osn.mghpcc.org/crc-ssl/Opio...
Jurisdiction Funding Report
rice1.osn.mghpcc.org
September 26, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Great project from @bakerinstitute.bsky.social tracking how the 21 largest local govts in Texas are spending their opioid settlement money. These localities have no reporting requirements, so researchers are filling a critical gap in public knowledge here. rice1.osn.mghpcc.org/crc-ssl/Opio...
Mississippi Today opens 'black box' of opioid settlement spending mississippitoday.org/2025/09/15/b...
Mississippi Today opens 'black box' of opioid settlement spending - Mississippi Today
A Mississippi Today investigation found that after nearly three years of state and local governments receiving money, they have reported spending less than $1 million – or less than 1% of the money…
mississippitoday.org
September 16, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Mississippi Today opens 'black box' of opioid settlement spending mississippitoday.org/2025/09/15/b...
A New England state is battling the largest HIV outbreak in its history. The local factors that shaped it can shed light on what to expect from Trump’s policies on homelessness and drug use. @kffhealthnews.org
kffhealthnews.org/news/article... kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article... kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
An HIV Outbreak in Maine Shows the Risk of Trump’s Crackdown on Homelessness and Drug Use - KFF Health News
Public health experts and advocates say the outbreak has been fueled by a confluence of local factors, including the sweeping of a homeless encampment and shuttering of a sterile-syringe program. But…
kffhealthnews.org
September 16, 2025 at 1:10 PM
A New England state is battling the largest HIV outbreak in its history. The local factors that shaped it can shed light on what to expect from Trump’s policies on homelessness and drug use. @kffhealthnews.org
kffhealthnews.org/news/article... kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article... kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Reposted
Independent rural hospitals are increasingly joining networks that share resources and bargaining power. The goal is to save money and improve patient care without losing their independence by joining a large health system.
Reporting from Bowman, ND:
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Reporting from Bowman, ND:
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Instead of Selling, Some Rural Hospitals Band Together To Survive - KFF Health News
Independent and rural hospitals are collaborating with their neighbors to shore up their finances instead of joining larger health systems to stay afloat.
kffhealthnews.org
September 9, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Independent rural hospitals are increasingly joining networks that share resources and bargaining power. The goal is to save money and improve patient care without losing their independence by joining a large health system.
Reporting from Bowman, ND:
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Reporting from Bowman, ND:
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
I'm excited to be a part of the @who.int Africa Region's webinar this Wednesday discussing key solutions any country can implement for #WorldSuicidePreventionDay. I'll be presenting on how media and journalists can play a role. It's free for all. Please join.
Zoom: lnkd.in/gAmTW8aM
Zoom: lnkd.in/gAmTW8aM
September 8, 2025 at 1:20 PM
I'm excited to be a part of the @who.int Africa Region's webinar this Wednesday discussing key solutions any country can implement for #WorldSuicidePreventionDay. I'll be presenting on how media and journalists can play a role. It's free for all. Please join.
Zoom: lnkd.in/gAmTW8aM
Zoom: lnkd.in/gAmTW8aM
Goliath vs David: UnitedHealth Group's multibillion dollar PBM (Optum Rx) is suing 5 KY counties (one as small as 8,000 residents) to try to force them out of national opioid lawsuits against the company. @kffhealthnews.org @statesnewsroom.com @kentuckylantern.com kentuckylantern.com/2025/08/19/g...
Goliath vs. David: Optum Rx invokes open meetings law to fight Kentucky counties on opioid suits • Kentucky Lantern
UnitedHealth Group’s pharmacy benefit manager, Optum Rx, sues five Kentucky counties to force them out of national opioid litigation against the company.
kentuckylantern.com
August 19, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Goliath vs David: UnitedHealth Group's multibillion dollar PBM (Optum Rx) is suing 5 KY counties (one as small as 8,000 residents) to try to force them out of national opioid lawsuits against the company. @kffhealthnews.org @statesnewsroom.com @kentuckylantern.com kentuckylantern.com/2025/08/19/g...
🧵Billions in opioid settlement💰is meant to help curb addiction—but what happens if it’s misspent? Some advocates say state attorneys general should be paying closer attention. Until they do, a crowdsourced database tracking potential misuse could help. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
July 11, 2025 at 5:29 PM
🧵Billions in opioid settlement💰is meant to help curb addiction—but what happens if it’s misspent? Some advocates say state attorneys general should be paying closer attention. Until they do, a crowdsourced database tracking potential misuse could help. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
More construction workers die by suicide than die by work-related injuries. A little known federal agency was leading research and programs to address the crisis. Now, most of its staff has been cut. My latest for @kffhealthnews.org & @cbsnews.com.web.brid.gy kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Workplace Mental Health at Risk as Key Federal Agency Faces Cuts - KFF Health News
Efforts to decrease alarmingly high rates of suicide among construction workers and prevent burnout in health care workers are in jeopardy after the firing of hundreds of employees at the National…
kffhealthnews.org
July 8, 2025 at 9:32 PM
More construction workers die by suicide than die by work-related injuries. A little known federal agency was leading research and programs to address the crisis. Now, most of its staff has been cut. My latest for @kffhealthnews.org & @cbsnews.com.web.brid.gy kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
There's very little oversight on how local govts nationwide are spending billions in opioid settlement money. This newly released report from @njcomptroller.bsky.social is a rare exception. The office found the town of Irvington "wasted" $600k+ on "awareness concerts." www.nj.gov/comptroller/...
July 8, 2025 at 6:17 PM
There's very little oversight on how local govts nationwide are spending billions in opioid settlement money. This newly released report from @njcomptroller.bsky.social is a rare exception. The office found the town of Irvington "wasted" $600k+ on "awareness concerts." www.nj.gov/comptroller/...
“Workplace mental health is one of the most underappreciated yet critical areas we could intervene on,” said a former NIOSH worker. “We were just starting to get some strong support from all the players involved...This administration has blown that apart.” kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Workplace Mental Health at Risk as Key Federal Agency Faces Cuts - KFF Health News
Efforts to decrease alarmingly high rates of suicide among construction workers and prevent burnout in health care workers are in jeopardy after the firing of hundreds of employees at the National…
kffhealthnews.org
July 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
“Workplace mental health is one of the most underappreciated yet critical areas we could intervene on,” said a former NIOSH worker. “We were just starting to get some strong support from all the players involved...This administration has blown that apart.” kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Great reporting out of West Virginia - by great student journalists - about where opioid settlement money is going in a state that's long been considered the epicenter of the opioid and overdose crisis.
As millions in opioid settlement funds reach West Virginia, counties are making high-stakes choices about how to spend them.
'The Price of Recovery' series explores the tension between political priorities, financial pressures and community needs.
www.100daysinappalachia.com/the-price-of...
'The Price of Recovery' series explores the tension between political priorities, financial pressures and community needs.
www.100daysinappalachia.com/the-price-of...
The Price of Recovery — 100 Days in Appalachia
As millions in opioid settlement funds reach West Virginia, counties are making high-stakes choices about how to spend it — revealing the tension between political priorities, financial pressures and ...
www.100daysinappalachia.com
July 3, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Great reporting out of West Virginia - by great student journalists - about where opioid settlement money is going in a state that's long been considered the epicenter of the opioid and overdose crisis.
Reposted
🚨My latest:
I’ve been talking with HIV activists since Trump took office.
Their organizing is rooted in pivotal social movements in America: AIDS to civil rights.
My reporting started in a Black church in the Mississippi Delta. It was the perfect place to begin. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
I’ve been talking with HIV activists since Trump took office.
Their organizing is rooted in pivotal social movements in America: AIDS to civil rights.
My reporting started in a Black church in the Mississippi Delta. It was the perfect place to begin. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
‘We Need To Keep Fighting’: HIV Activists Organize To Save Lives as Trump Guts Funding - KFF Health News
While Congress fails to stave off cuts to HIV care, community leaders in Mississippi and beyond race to limit the damage.
kffhealthnews.org
June 24, 2025 at 1:37 PM
🚨My latest:
I’ve been talking with HIV activists since Trump took office.
Their organizing is rooted in pivotal social movements in America: AIDS to civil rights.
My reporting started in a Black church in the Mississippi Delta. It was the perfect place to begin. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
I’ve been talking with HIV activists since Trump took office.
Their organizing is rooted in pivotal social movements in America: AIDS to civil rights.
My reporting started in a Black church in the Mississippi Delta. It was the perfect place to begin. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Reposted
Tons of great stories in here — guarantee you’ll get some ideas!
Great working on this with @edmahon.bsky.social and @aneripattani.bsky.social
Great working on this with @edmahon.bsky.social and @aneripattani.bsky.social
A big list of 30 opioid settlement story ideas and 30 other public health story ideas: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
I created this with @aneripattani.bsky.social and @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social .
I created this with @aneripattani.bsky.social and @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social .
60 opioid settlement and other public health story ideas - (IRE)
docs.google.com
June 21, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Tons of great stories in here — guarantee you’ll get some ideas!
Great working on this with @edmahon.bsky.social and @aneripattani.bsky.social
Great working on this with @edmahon.bsky.social and @aneripattani.bsky.social
I was honored to join @nabarund.bsky.social & Keli McLoyd on @the1a.org this week to discuss what's behind the recent decline in overdose deaths, how federal cuts affect addiction services & the latest opioid settlement news, including Purdue Pharm: the1a.org/segments/why...
Why are we seeing a dramatic drop in overdose deaths?
Drop in drug overdose deaths comes as the Trump Administration cancels more than $11 billion dollars in grants funding mental health and addiction programs.
the1a.org
June 18, 2025 at 9:05 PM
I was honored to join @nabarund.bsky.social & Keli McLoyd on @the1a.org this week to discuss what's behind the recent decline in overdose deaths, how federal cuts affect addiction services & the latest opioid settlement news, including Purdue Pharm: the1a.org/segments/why...
For months, the Trump admin has been discussing canceling the national suicide lifeline 988's press 3 option, which offers specialized services for LGBTQ+ ppl. Now it's happening. @trevorproject.bsky.social says they got a stop work order effective July 17 www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/trump-a...
Trump Administration Orders Termination of National LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Lifeline, Effective July 17th
Your Support Saves LGBTQ+Youth's Lives Every DayDonate June 18, 2025 – The Trevor Project received official notice yesterday that the […]
www.thetrevorproject.org
June 18, 2025 at 7:59 PM
For months, the Trump admin has been discussing canceling the national suicide lifeline 988's press 3 option, which offers specialized services for LGBTQ+ ppl. Now it's happening. @trevorproject.bsky.social says they got a stop work order effective July 17 www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/trump-a...
Thanks WAMU for inviting me to speak about opioid settlement money - how it's being spent in DC and how that compares to national trends. wamu.org/story/25/05/...
For opioid victims, payouts fall short while governments reap millions
Opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers have also begun shelling out billions of dollars to settle lawsuits over their role in the overdose epidemic. But how best to spend this money remains...
wamu.org
May 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Thanks WAMU for inviting me to speak about opioid settlement money - how it's being spent in DC and how that compares to national trends. wamu.org/story/25/05/...
Very excited to present @IRE_NICAR next month with @edmahon.bsky.social & Drew Hawkins! We'll be sharing 60 rapid-fire ideas for stories on opioid settlement money & public health topics in 60 minutes. You'll walk away with inspiration for quick turns, features & investigations.
May 22, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Very excited to present @IRE_NICAR next month with @edmahon.bsky.social & Drew Hawkins! We'll be sharing 60 rapid-fire ideas for stories on opioid settlement money & public health topics in 60 minutes. You'll walk away with inspiration for quick turns, features & investigations.
What does Trump’s early budget proposal say about the 988 crisis hotline, suicide prevention & programs to address addiction? My latest for @kffhealthnews.org with notes from
@afspnational.bsky.social, @drugpolicyorg.bsky.social, @paulnestadt.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
@afspnational.bsky.social, @drugpolicyorg.bsky.social, @paulnestadt.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
3 Things to Watch on Mental Health in Trump’s Early Budget Proposals - KFF Health News
President Donald Trump’s budget office says he’ll continue to fund the new 988 suicide prevention hotline, but documents sent to Congress offer clues — amid some mixed messages — about the administrat...
kffhealthnews.org
May 21, 2025 at 1:17 PM
What does Trump’s early budget proposal say about the 988 crisis hotline, suicide prevention & programs to address addiction? My latest for @kffhealthnews.org with notes from
@afspnational.bsky.social, @drugpolicyorg.bsky.social, @paulnestadt.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
@afspnational.bsky.social, @drugpolicyorg.bsky.social, @paulnestadt.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Of the $4.4m in opioid settlement funds Houston has received so far, over $500k has been spent on naloxone, opioid-simulating goggles, embroidered sweaters, computer gear, legal settlements & personnel, @houstonlanding.bsky.social found via public record requests houstonlanding.org/amid-hundred...
Amid hundreds of deaths each year, here’s how Houston is spending opioid settlement dollars
Medical professionals and advocates want the city to direct more money to treatment and to improve transparency on how the funding is spent.
houstonlanding.org
May 14, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Of the $4.4m in opioid settlement funds Houston has received so far, over $500k has been spent on naloxone, opioid-simulating goggles, embroidered sweaters, computer gear, legal settlements & personnel, @houstonlanding.bsky.social found via public record requests houstonlanding.org/amid-hundred...
Louisiana receives millions a year in opioid settlement funds, but audit says there's no oversight www.nola.com/news/healthc...
Louisiana receives millions a year in opioid settlement funds, but audit says there's no oversight
No one is charged with enforcing requirements for hundreds of millions in Louisiana's opioid settlement money.
www.nola.com
May 13, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Louisiana receives millions a year in opioid settlement funds, but audit says there's no oversight www.nola.com/news/healthc...
Update: Trump admin asks to pause the lawsuit while it reconsiders mental health parity regulations, potentially rescinding or modifying them, per court filing. In the meantime they won't enforce parts of the rule that went into effect this year. litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/u...
I know "mental health parity" sounds wonky. Add an industry lawsuit and many ppl are ready to tune out. But this is important. At stake is ppl's ability to afford therapy & medications for depression, anxiety, addiction, eating disorders, autism & more. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Trump Team Faces Key Legal Decision That Could Put Mental Health Parity in Peril - KFF Health News
The administration is facing a May 12 deadline to declare if it will defend Biden-era regulations that aim to enforce laws requiring parity in insurance coverage of mental and physical health care.
kffhealthnews.org
May 12, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Update: Trump admin asks to pause the lawsuit while it reconsiders mental health parity regulations, potentially rescinding or modifying them, per court filing. In the meantime they won't enforce parts of the rule that went into effect this year. litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/u...