OMAHA- Nebraska is set to get $100 million over the next two decades. It's part of the massive opioid settlement money paid out by drug companies and drug stores for flooding the market with addictive pain killers and overprescribing these drugs, responsible for about 80,000 deaths nationwide, per year. Nebraska’s share of the settlement is a tiny part of $54 billion paid out worldwide.

But right now, it’s not clear if Nebraska will publicly report how all the money is spent. “Even though the opioid settlement seems like a large amount of money, it is right sized for our state,” said Omaha Doctor Ann Anderson Berry, a Nebraska Medicine neonatologist, UNMC researcher and member of Nebraska’s committee which will determine how part of the money is spent.

So far, neighboring states like Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota promise full transparency. They already have detailed active public websites detailing 100% disclosure of how their money is being spent. Nebraska has not identified if they will do the same with it's funds. DHHS must issue an annual report on the uses, spending, and outcomes to the Legislature, Governor, and the Attorney General.

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