Ohio using Cures Act funds to augment addiction efforts

Ohio officials spent $19 million, or about 73 percent, of the money Ohio received last year as part of the two-year, nearly $1 billion 21st Century Cures Act grant program, according to an analysis of states’ spending by The Associated Press (Source: “Bucking trend, Ohio moved fast to use federal opioid money,” Associated Press via Akron Beacon Journal, Oct. 21, 2018)

In Ohio, the state’s Mental Health and Addiction Services agency says the state used Cures Act dollars to fill gaps in the state’s response to the opioid crisis not covered by Medicaid eligibility expansion.

In total, $479,074,220 was allocated to 55 states and territories (including D.C., Puerto Rico, Palau, Northern Marianas and American Samoa) to spend over the first year of the grant, the AP review found. Ohio received $26 million for each of the two years of the grant program.