newsmatbuprenorphineNew York County Jail Runs $866,000 Short on Opioid Treatment FundingSt. Lawrence County allocated nearly $900,000 for state-mandated jail MAT programs this year. New state aid figures show the county received less than one-fifth of what the program costs to run.August 27, 20266 min read
newspolicytreatmentTrump Administration Unveils 'Treatment First' Policy for Homelessness and AddictionThe Trump administration has released a first-of-its-kind federal toolkit that redefines how communities address homelessness and addiction, prioritizing treatment and recovery over housing-alone solutions.August 20, 20266 min read
deep-divepolicymental-healthHHS Secures Insurer Pledge on Behavioral Health QualityDozens of insurers, medical societies, and providers signed a voluntary HHS pledge to raise standards for addiction and mental health care. The commitment arrives just as enforcement of the federal parity law — the one tool that legally compels equal coverage — sits frozen.August 3, 20268 min read
newsopioidfederalDEA Moves to Ban Synthetic Kratom Compound 7-OH NationwideFederal regulators are taking emergency action against a potent synthetic opioid derived from kratom, with implications for New York's smoke shops and online retailers.July 6, 20264 min read
newstreatmentnew-yorkMichigan's Addiction Counselor Shortage Is a Warning for New YorkMichigan now has just 7.58 addiction counselors per 1,000 people with substance use disorders, ranking 38th nationally. Treatment centers face 39-62% annual turnover as burned-out staff leave the field.May 29, 20266 min read
newsopioidpolicyCVS, Walgreens and Walmart Just Won a Major Opioid Lawsuit—What It Means for the Future of Pharmacy AccountabilityIn a significant legal victory for major pharmacy retailers, a Florida judge has dismissed a $2 billion lawsuit brought by 16 hospitals against CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart.May 28, 20265 min read
newsfundingfederalHHS Launches New Crackdown on Audit Failures—And New York Addiction Programs Could Face Funding CutsThe Department of Health and Human Services unveiled AERO—a sweeping audit enforcement initiative that puts states on notice. For New York's addiction treatment network, which relies heavily on federal grants, the stakes are significant.May 23, 20265 min read
newspolicytreatmentAddiction Support Groups Want New York to Cap Treatment Costs at $250A coalition of addiction support organizations has sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul urging a $250 cap on out-of-pocket costs for outpatient addiction treatment. The proposal aims to remove financial barriers that prevent many New Yorkers from accessing care.May 13, 20264 min read
newspolicyfederalWhite House Unveils 2026 National Drug Control Strategy—But Critics Question How It Will WorkThe 195-page strategy document outlines ambitious goals for addiction treatment and prevention, but public health experts point to contradictions with the administration's funding cuts and policy changes.May 8, 20265 min read
newspolicytreatmentRFK Jr. Wants to Transform U.S. Addiction Treatment Using a Controversial Italian ModelHHS Secretary RFK Jr. wants to replace medication-assisted treatment with wellness farms based on an Italian model that rejects proven medications like buprenorphine and methadone.May 5, 20266 min read
newspolicyfederalSAMHSA Issues New Guidance on Addiction Treatment—Restricting Harm Reduction and Emphasizing CounselingNew federal guidance restricts SAMHSA funding for harm reduction supplies while requiring counseling services alongside medication treatment, marking a significant policy shift.May 1, 20266 min read
newspolicyfentanylSAMHSA Bans Federal Funds for Fentanyl Test Strips and Syringes—A Major Shift in U.S. Drug PolicyThe Trump administration is cutting off federal funding for fentanyl test strips, sterile syringes, and other harm reduction supplies through a new SAMHSA directive that reverses years of overdose prevention policy.April 28, 20266 min read
newspolicyfederalNew York's Top Addiction Official Warns $13 Billion Medicaid Cut Could 'Destabilize' Treatment System StatewideAt a Penn conference, NY's addiction services commissioner warned that losing $13 billion in Medicaid funding would force impossible choices between prevention, treatment, and harm reduction—and likely cost lives.April 9, 20268 min read
newspolicyfederalWhite House Budget Proposes 12% Cut to Health Agency Funding Addiction Treatment NationwideThe Trump administration's fiscal 2027 budget would slash federal health funding by 12.5%, consolidating and eliminating programs at SAMHSA that fund addiction treatment across New York. Congress has final say, but the proposal creates immediate uncertainty for providers.April 6, 20267 min read
policyinsurancefederalFederal Insurance Rule for Addiction Treatment Coverage Now Under Review—What It Means for New YorkersThe Justice Department announced Friday that three federal agencies will reconsider Biden-era rules guaranteeing equal insurance coverage for addiction and mental health treatment. The move suspends an ERISA lawsuit indefinitely and raises questions about federal enforcement—but New York's own parity protections remain in effect.April 1, 20268 min read
newsnaloxonepolicyNew York Just Became First State to Require Naloxone in Workplace First Aid KitsEmployers who maintain first aid kits under federal OSHA rules will soon be required to include naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug. The law takes effect December 13, 2026.March 27, 20264 min read
newspolicynaloxoneNew York Now Requires Naloxone in Workplace First Aid Kits. Here's What Employers Need to Know.AB 9453 expands workplace safety requirements across New York, mandating naloxone in first aid supplies at thousands of worksites by the end of 2026.March 26, 20264 min read
newspolicyopioidFederal Government Moves to Ban Synthetic Opioid Sold in Gas Stations Before It Triggers the Next Addiction CrisisFederal regulators are racing to ban a synthetic opioid that's been sold legally in convenience stores and vape shops across the country. The substance, 7-hydroxymitragynine—known as 7-OH—is a concentrated byproduct of the kratom plant that officials say is as addictive as heroin and more potent than morphine.March 25, 20268 min read
newsdeep-divefederalWhiplash at HHS: How Trump's $2 Billion Grant Cuts Threw New York's Addiction Treatment System Into Chaos—Then Reversed in 24 HoursIn January, the Trump administration sent termination letters to thousands of mental health and addiction programs nationwide. New York's safety net scrambled. Then, 24 hours later, the money came back. But the chaos didn't end there.March 20, 20268 min read
newspolicyfentanylDEA Just Banned Three Synthetic Opioids Stronger Than Fentanyl. Why New York Should Pay Attention.The DEA placed three nitazene-class synthetic opioids into Schedule I effective March 11, 2026. These substances are up to 40 times more potent than fentanyl and have been detected in overdose deaths nationwide.March 17, 20268 min read
newsmedicaidfundingFederal Medicaid Probe Threatens Coverage for 1.7 Million New Yorkers — Including Those Seeking Addiction TreatmentThe Trump administration has opened a fraud investigation into New York's $124 billion Medicaid program, threatening to freeze payments if the state doesn't respond within 30 days. For the 1.7 million New Yorkers who depend on Medicaid-funded health care—including thousands in addiction treatment—the stakes couldn't be higher.March 13, 20268 min read
newsnaloxonepolicyNew York Employers Must Now Keep Naloxone Where First Aid Kits Are RequiredNew York recently amended its labor laws to require private employers who maintain workplace first aid supplies to also stock naloxone or another FDA-approved opioid antagonist. The change comes as workplace overdose deaths continue to rise nationwide.March 11, 20264 min read
newstreatmentpolicyNYC's Largest Hospital System Will Pay Patients to Stay in Addiction TreatmentThe city's public hospital system is rolling out a new approach to addiction treatment that pays patients small rewards for hitting recovery goals—starting with people involuntarily removed from the streets under controversial mental health laws.March 4, 20268 min read
telehealthbuprenorphineopioidFederal Rule Lets Doctors Prescribe Addiction Medication Over Video Calls Through End of 2026Federal agencies extended telehealth flexibilities for prescribing buprenorphine—a medication to treat opioid use disorder—through the end of 2026, allowing New Yorkers to access addiction treatment remotely without an initial office visit.March 2, 20264 min read
newspolicynaloxoneNew York Workplaces Will Be Required to Stock Overdose Medication by Next YearStarting December 2026, New York employers required to maintain first aid supplies must stock naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses. The new law signed by Governor Hochul aims to combat a crisis that claimed over 4,500 lives in 2024.February 27, 20265 min read
newspolicynaloxoneNew York Law Will Require Naloxone in Workplace First Aid Kits by DecemberThousands of New York employers will need to add naloxone to workplace first aid kits under a law signed February 13. The requirement takes effect December 13, 2026, covering any private business already required by federal rules to maintain first aid supplies.February 26, 20263 min read
settlementfundingnycNew York City to Receive $48 Million From Purdue Pharma-Sackler Settlement as Litigation Moves ForwardNew York City committed to a new Purdue Pharma-Sackler family settlement that will funnel approximately $48 million to the city — adding to the roughly $50 million annually the Adams administration already receives from major opioid settlements.February 25, 20264 min read
deep-diveopioidsettlementWhere Are New York's Opioid Settlement Millions Going? Watchdogs Say the State Won't Tell ThemDrug policy experts and advisory board members say OASAS is stonewalling transparency efforts around $1.5 billion in opioid settlement funds, refusing to disclose basic information required by law.February 23, 20269 min read
deep-diveopioidtreatmentMethadone Treatment Tripled Since 2010, But Most New Yorkers With Opioid Use Disorder Still Can't Get ItNew research reveals methadone treatment has tripled since 2010, yet three out of four people with opioid use disorder receive no medication at all. A pending federal bill could change how New Yorkers access this life-saving treatment.February 20, 20268 min read
policyfederaltreatmentNew Federal Rules for Addiction Treatment Records Just Took Effect. Here's What Patients in New York Should Know.For decades, addiction treatment records were governed by some of the strictest privacy rules in American healthcare. On February 16, federal enforcement of sweeping updates to those rules officially began. What changed, what stayed the same, and what it means for New Yorkers seeking help.February 19, 20266 min read
federalfundingtreatmentKennedy Announces $100M Federal Plan to Link Homeless Americans to Addiction TreatmentThe Trump administration's first major addiction policy move pairs $100 million in new federal funding with a sharp break from harm reduction — a combination that has addiction medicine providers watching closely.February 18, 20263 min read
policyfundingalcoholNew York Bill Would Make Alcohol Sales Fund Addiction Treatment StatewideBronx Senator Nathalia Fernandez is pushing three bills that would create the first dedicated alcohol tax revenue stream for addiction services in New York — at a moment when the state has never made drinking easier to access.February 17, 20265 min read
opioidfundingtreatmentRochester Just Got a New Opioid Clinic. Here's Where New York's Settlement Billions Are Going.New York has distributed more opioid settlement money than any other state. A new clinic in Rochester shows what that looks like on the ground — and a transparency controversy shows what it doesn't.February 17, 20268 min read
