Court Approves $700M Opioid Settlement for Acute Hospitals
A federal court has approved a $700 million class-action settlement that will compensate over 1,000 acute care hospitals for costs related to the opioid crisis.
The settlement consolidates four separate agreements involving major drug manufacturers and distributors, including Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), 嘉德诺 , McKesson , 强生公司 , Teva Pharmaceuticals , and Allergan .
Allegations Against the Defendants?
The lawsuit accused these companies of misrepresenting the risks and safety of prescription opioids, failing to monitor suspicious orders, and dispensing opioids that were not prescribed for legitimate medical purposes. While the defendants deny any wrongdoing, they have agreed to resolve the claims through this settlement.?
Breakdown of the Settlement Funds
Under the agreement, $651 million will go toward compensating hospitals for past and future opioid-related treatment costs and community outreach programs aimed at combating the epidemic. An additional $49 million will be allocated to supply Naloxone to hospitals over the next seven years. The settlement class counsel has indicated it will request approximately one-third of the total settlement as attorney fees.
Eligibility and Claims Process
The class-action settlement covers nongovernment acute care hospitals that treated opioid-related conditions between January 1, 2009, and October 30, 2024. Hospitals needed to submit a claim by March 4 to qualify for compensation. Those who applied could either accept a $5,000 “Quick Pay” option or provide detailed documentation to receive a higher payout based on the care they provided.