NEW: Most of the Medicaid cuts passed by congressional Republicans last year don't take effect until after the midterms, but the Trump's signature law is already squeezing state Medicaid programs.

In Idaho, one service on the possible chopping block is home care for people with disabilities.

Lonny Fritzler installs paneling on a future therapeutic foster home for kids whose parents need addiction treatment elsewhere. He says he had to leave his hometown of Lodge Grass to recover from his own addiction to meth.

Illustration by Oona Zenda of a man having to weigh prioritizing either his job or access to health care with a lawmaker in the background.

Hundreds of people join a protest in downtown Hamilton, Montana, in April supporting the work of federal employees as President Donald Trump oversees efforts to restructure the nation’s government.

Hi — new to BlueSky! I’m a journalist covering how health policy and systems impact people. Lately I’ve reported on federal cuts hitting a rural bioscience hub, a town recovering from meth, and a man who said he had to break Medicaid rules.

Based in Montana, I write for both 📰 and 📻

You can read (and listen) to my original story here: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

New Orleans doctor accused of overprescribing; Indigenous community in Dulac loses vital cultural center Today on Louisiana Considered, we hear about a Louisiana doctor whose history of flexible care led to allegations of overprescribing for her patients. And, we visit the town of Dulac, where the closin...

Thank you Alana Schreiber & @wwno.org for inviting me to talk about Dr. Elyse Stevens, her patients, and what a New Orleans hospital system's treatment of them says about the future of addiction medicine www.wwno.org/show/louisia...

Any journalists interested in covering mental health should consider applying for the Rosalynn Carter fellowship! Speaking as a former fellow and now advisor, the benefits are great - financial support, training, guidance. mentalhealthjournalism.org

Honored and grateful to receive ASAM's media award this year for reporting that "that improves the public's understanding of addiction, treatment, recovery, or the profession of addiction medicine."

Thank you! If you're ever in New Orleans, you should visit this spot

Thrift Store. Clinic. Roller Rink. Center becomes ‘radical’ lifeline amid homelessness, drug crises. - Verite News New Orleans Located in the Lower 9th Ward, this abandoned building has become a community sanctuary and resource.

After a trip to New Orleans last year, I could not get this place out of my mind. It's so many things at once. An abandoned Family Dollar, a community center, a free thrift store, a medical clinic, a punk concert venue. I tried to recreate my visit: veritenews.org/2026/01/07/f...

Excellent piece from @aneripattani.bsky.social . I am honored to know Elyse and to have worked beside her - it is no exaggeration when I say that this is been a huge and terrible loss the community. There are real, human lives affected when politics get in the way of evidence-based care.

Thank you!

Thanks for sharing, Lynne!

Inside the Battle for the Future of Addiction Medicine - KFF Health News The experiences of one doctor in Louisiana reveal the tensions around trying to get people to engage in addiction treatment, even if they’re not ready to stop using drugs.

I thought I understood a lot about addiction medicine, having reported on it for nearly a decade. Then I worked on this story.

Article & radio versions here via @kffhealthnews.org & @npr.org: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Inside the Battle for the Future of Addiction Medicine - KFF Health News The experiences of one doctor in Louisiana reveal the tensions around trying to get people to engage in addiction treatment, even if they’re not ready to stop using drugs.

@aneripattani.bsky.social on the battle for the future of addiction medicine:
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

I saw this at the DC Dox festival over the summer. Very interesting documentary!

El Paso received $5.2 million to mitigate opioid risks, with more funds to come. Most of that money sits unspent Texas began distributing opioid abatement funds from a national settlement agreement with pharmaceutical companies that drove the opioid crisis.

Great reporting by @priscillatotiya.bsky.social @elpasomatters.bsky.social on how the county, city, and local hospital are using their opioid settlement funds... including $411k spent on demolishing an old strip club building elpasomatters.org/2025/12/01/e...

Promo graphic for episode 981 of Public Health On Call podcast, titled Maine's Largest Ever HIV Outbreak. Additional text on the graphic reads: "Reporter Aneri Pattani on the origins of the outbreak and what can be done to slow the tide of transmission."

For over two years, the city of Bangor, ME, has been in the throes of a serious HIV outbreak.

@aneripattani.bsky.social discusses the challenges of tracking transmission and treating those infected, and how harm reduction measures could turn the tide.

podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/981-maines-l...

I got to discuss how opioid settlement money is being spent (hint: sock hops and mixed martial arts demos) in my home state of Connecticut on a podcast from the state! Listen here: www.podbean.com/eas/pb-6i4rt...

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.…

Missouri auditor recommends better oversight for opioid settlement spending after First Alert 4 reporting www.firstalert4.com/2025/11/13/m...

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.

🔔 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...

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...

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...

Payback: Tracking the Opioid Settlement Cash - KFF Health News Featured articles Localize the Data If you are a journalist who wants to investigate opioid settlement transparency data for your area, here’s how you can do that. Share Your Settlement Story Do you h...

13/ If you’re looking for more: I’ve been covering the use of opioid settlement funds for over 3 years now. Here you can find all my published work, send me a tip, and download various data sets: www.kffhealthnews.org/opioid-settlements

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12/ Speaking of the project team... Compiling this database is a massive, year-long undertaking that involved more than a dozen people. Big thanks to everyone listed below, including Kristen Pendergrass, Abigail Winiker, Lydia Zuraw, and several others.

11/ Among the most important caveats: This database should NOT be compared to a similar one @kffhealthnews.org, @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social & @shatterproofhq.bsky.social compiled last year, due to methodology changes & state budget quirks. Contact the project team with ?s: opioidpayback@kff.org

10/ You can read the full methodology, which explains the data’s limitations here: kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/u...

FULL Unknown Shares - OSF expenditures 2024 A Flourish data visualization by KFF Health News

9/ Of course our database doesn’t capture everything. Many places don’t publish spending reports or reports lack detail. It's a snapshot of 2024, and doesn't show 2025 spending. But we hope it helps fill a gap in public knowledge about this money. public.flourish.studio/visualisatio...

Guidance for Investing the Opioid Settlement Funds in Primary Prevention The opioid settlement funds present a key opportunity for communities to address the current opioid epidemic and prevent future addiction crises. This report aims to help guide decision-makers in usin...

8/ And when settlement funds pay for such efforts, there’s less left for strategies “that we do know work,” Richter added. Her organization outlined a bunch of effective prevention strategies in this guide: drugfree.org/reports/guid...

7/ These included a 1950s style sock hop where attendees pledged to remain drug free, a mixed martial arts demonstration, a fishing tournament, and a drug awareness magician.

“There is no evidence” to back those efforts, said Linda Richter of Partnership to End Addiction.

Sock Hops and Concerts: How Some Places Spent Opioid Settlement Cash - KFF Health News States, counties, and cities are receiving millions in opioid settlement money to address the addiction crisis. The ways they spent the dollars in 2024 sometimes drew criticism from advocates and at l...

6/ Nationwide, more than $237M went to efforts broadly aimed at preventing addiction, from community awareness events to hiring school mental health counselors. But many examples raised red flags for researchers. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

5/ Bre Dolan, an EMT in WV who's in recovery, said officers are “good men and women" who "care about seeing their community recover." But it's unfair to expect them to tackle the root causes of addiction. She’d like money to support social workers & foster kids from a young age.

Law Enforcement - OSF Expenditures 2024 A Flourish data visualization by KFF Health News

4/ Research shows drug busts/arrests are ineffective at reducing addiction deaths. But many local officials in charge of the money said their constituents believe it works & want to fund it. This is “how my population would like me to vote,” one official said. public.flourish.studio/visualisatio...