Where Did the Opioid Money Go? Tracking Price County Settlem

Where Did the Opioid Money Go? Tracking Price County’s Settlement Fund Spending

Wisconsin counties have received millions in opioid lawsuit settlements. Price County has an Opioid Committee meeting May 13, 2026. But how much money has actually arrived, and where is it going? Read more Price County stories from across the web.

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Wisconsin is a participant in multiple national opioid settlements: Johnson & Johnson, Cardinal Health, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart. Combined, the state’s share over 18 years is estimated at over $400 million. Counties and municipalities receive a significant portion directly.

Price County has an active Opioid Committee that meets regularly. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM. The meeting is open to the public under Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law.

Here is what we know, and what we do not, about Price County’s opioid settlement funds.

The Settlement Framework

Wisconsin’s opioid settlement funds flow through a structure administered by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health Services. The “Dose of Reality” campaign is the state’s public-facing effort. County-level distribution follows formulas that consider opioid overdose deaths, treatment needs, and population.

Rural counties like Price County receive a smaller per-county allocation than urban areas. But rural counties often have proportionally greater need. Treatment deserts are worse. Transportation barriers are higher. Stigma is more pronounced, meaning people who need help may be less likely to seek it in small communities where everyone knows each other.

What the Funds Can Be Used For

Settlement funds must be used for opioid remediation. The approved uses are broad and include:

Treatment and recovery support services
– Prevention and education programs
– Harm reduction (naloxone distribution, syringe services)
– Recovery housing and employment support
– Criminal justice diversion programs
– First responder overdose response

What the funds cannot be used for: supplanting existing spending. Counties cannot use settlement money to replace current budget allocations and then redirect the freed-up funding elsewhere. The funds must represent new, additional spending on opioid remediation.

The Price County Opioid Committee

The committee exists, it meets, and its meetings are recorded. The May 13 meeting will be public. Anyone can attend.

The key questions are:

How much has Price County received? The county should have a running total of settlement deposits, broken down by settlement (Johnson & Johnson, Teva, pharmacies, etc.) and by fiscal year. If the county has not published this figure, the Opioid Committee meeting on May 13 would be the appropriate forum to ask.

How much has been spent? Total expenditure, broken down by category: treatment, prevention, harm reduction, administration. Is the money being deployed, or is it accumulating in an account awaiting decisions?

What specific programs have been funded? The county should be able to name the programs, organizations, and initiatives that have received settlement funding. Are these evidence-based interventions? Are outcomes being measured?

Who is on the committee, and are meetings meaningful? The committee should include county officials, healthcare providers, law enforcement, addiction treatment professionals, and community representatives. Meeting minutes should be publicly available.

What Rural Counties Need

For a rural county like Price, the settlement funds could address specific gaps:

Mobile treatment. With no inpatient treatment facility in the county and limited transportation, mobile medication-assisted treatment units could expand access without requiring patients to travel.

Telehealth recovery services. Rural broadband is limited, but telehealth for addiction medicine has proven effective. Settlement funds could support broadband-enabled recovery coaching, counseling, and peer support.

Naloxone distribution. Price County first responders and community organizations should have naloxone available. Funding for widespread distribution saves lives.

Recovery housing. People leaving treatment need stable housing to maintain recovery. Rural counties often lack recovery housing options.

Peer support specialist positions. People in recovery who are trained as peer specialists provide cost-effective, evidence-based support. The county could fund one or more positions.

The Treatment Desert Problem

Price County likely has no inpatient detox facility, no methadone clinic, and limited buprenorphine providers. The nearest medication-assisted treatment may be 30 to 60 miles away. For someone with opioid use disorder, distance is a barrier that can be insurmountable without reliable transportation.

Wisconsin’s rural counties see disproportionate increases in overdose deaths compared to urban areas despite having fewer total deaths. The rate of increase is the problem. Settlement funds that sit unspent in a county account while residents die are a policy failure.

Before the May 13 Meeting

These are the questions the public should ask at the Opioid Committee meeting:

1. What is the total amount of settlement funds Price County has received to date?
2. What is the total amount spent to date?
3. What specific programs or services have been funded?
4. Are settlement funds being held in a dedicated account?
5. Is the county at risk of supplanting existing spending with settlement money?
6. What is the county’s plan for the funds over the next 12, 24, and 36 months?
7. Is naloxone distributed free of charge in Price County? If so, where and how much?
8. Does Price County have a syringe services program? If not, why?
9. What is the average distance a Price County resident must travel for medication-assisted treatment?
10. How does the committee measure outcomes? Are overdose deaths declining?

After the Meeting

We will follow up with a detailed report on what the committee said and what it did not say. If the committee provides clear answers, residents will have a roadmap for how settlement funds are being used. If the committee provides vague answers or defers to future discussions, the transparency gap will be documented.

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*This article is part of an ongoing investigative series by Northwoods Explorer covering Price County governance, transparency, and accountability. Related coverage: The Hastings Resignation, U.T.A.V. Proposal Analysis.*

Sources: Wisconsin DOJ Opioid Settlements page, Wisconsin DHS Dose of Reality campaign, Johns Hopkins Opioid Accountability Project, Price County Opioid Committee meeting calendar, Wisconsin statutes governing settlement fund use.

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Related Coverage

This investigation connects to our ongoing series:

Update, July 9, 2026: Three Meetings In, the Picture Is Clearer

Three of the committee’s five allotted meetings have now been held as of July 8, 2026, and many of the questions raised in this article are getting answers.

How much has been received? $250,123 to date (updated from $247,775). Annual payments are projected at $15,000–$20,000 through 2038.

How much has been spent? Approximately $84,000 has been preliminarily allocated, with roughly $19,000 still unallocated.

What programs are being funded? The preliminary allocations include:

His House of Hope Genesis Process curriculum — $10,000 (a nationwide recovery program with reported 60%–90% recovery rates in other cities)
School prevention programs — $5,000 for speakers and assemblies
Community outreach and advertising — ~$5,000
Female recovery program (future) — potential $25,000 allocation
Transportation assistance for families accessing treatment

Is money accumulating? Yes — $19,000 remains unallocated, and the committee confirmed that funds can be set aside for multi-year use (e.g., a $20,000 scholarship fund lasting three years).

What was considered but rejected? A drug court or wellness court was explored but is likely too expensive ($295,000–$400,000 in neighboring Forest County). A jail body scanner was discussed but “really difficult to fit” into allowable opioid settlement categories. Notably, probation does not currently approve His House of Hope as housing — possibly security-related.

What’s still missing? The committee is still waiting on reports from Aspirus, Marshfield Medical Center, and the Park Falls and Prentice school districts.

The next meeting on August 12, 2026, will finalize recommendations, which then move to the HHS Board and the full County Board for approval.

Reported from the July 8, 2026 Opioid Ad-Hoc Committee meeting and HHS Board meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the opioid settlement and how does it affect Price County?

Wisconsin is receiving hundreds of millions of dollars from opioid manufacturers and distributors through national settlement agreements. Price County receives a share of these funds based on its population and opioid impact metrics, with specific guidelines on how the money can be spent.

How should opioid settlement money be spent?

Settlement agreements include approved use categories such as treatment, prevention, recovery support, harm reduction, and addressing disparities. Funds cannot be used to supplant existing budgets. Transparency requirements mandate that spending be documented and reported publicly.

How can residents track opioid settlement spending in Price County?

Opioid settlement spending is subject to public records requests under Wisconsin law. The county is required to report how funds are allocated and spent. Residents can also attend board meetings where allocation decisions are made and request documentation from the county clerk.

How has the opioid crisis affected Price County?

Like many rural communities, Price County has been significantly affected by the opioid crisis, with impacts including increased overdose incidents, strain on emergency services, challenges in law enforcement, and limited local treatment options. The settlement funds are intended to address these ongoing impacts.