The North Carolina Memorandum of Agreement (NC MOA) governs how North Carolina uses proceeds from national opioid settlements and bankruptcies. The MOA requires 85 percent of the funds to go directly to county and municipal governments, while the remaining 15 percent of funds are directed to the General Assembly to be used by the state to address the opioid epidemic in a manner consistent with the national opioid settlement agreements. Here is how the NCGA
FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022
For Fiscal Year 2021-2022, the General Assembly directed $15,735,496 from the multi-state settlement with McKinsey & Company directly to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to support treatment, recovery, and preventions services for individuals battling Opioid Use Disorder. NCDHHS awarded 20 agencies across the state with grant funds to enhance or implement treatment services. A detailed overview of those who received awards from NC DHHS can be found here.
These appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 are described more fully on pages 217-219 of the 2021-2022 state budget here.
FISCAL YEAR 2022-2023
For Fiscal year 2022-2023, the General Assembly divided funds from the distributor and Johnson & Johnson settlement agreements in two parts. Of the $14,781,203 made available as a result of those agreements, the General Assembly directed $9,225,000 to the NC Department of Health and Human Services to be used as follows:
- $1,850,000 – Prescription Digital Therapeutics Pilot Program
- $1,000,000 – Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers Inc. (TROSA)
- $6,000,000 – Local Management Entities and Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs) to purchase naloxone and medications for opioid use disorder and for related purposes
- $375,000 – NC Association of County Commissioners to assist counties in maximizing the long-term positive impact of opioid settlement funds
The remaining funds in the amount of $5,556,203 are directed to the UNC Collaboratory to be used as follows:
- $400,000 – UNC Injury Prevention Research Center to support their work on the Community Opioid Resources Engine for North Carolina (CORE-NC)
- $600,000 – NC Central University
- $2,656,203 – UNC School of Pharmacy’s Eshelman Institute for Innovation
- $1,900,000 – Expanding grant opportunities across UNC campuses
Regarding the last item – $1,900,000 to expand grant opportunities across UNC campuses – the NC Collaboratory funded the five research projects described here.
These appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 are described more fully on pages 90-92 of the 2021-2022 state budget here.