Harris Teeter Settled Its Opioid Claims, But Lost Access to Insurance Coverage Over How Settlement Agreement Memorialized It

When a sweeping public health crisis ultimately reaches the country’s court systems, the grim statistics and financial accounting that are sure to accompany its narrative are shocking – and inescapable. CDC reports more than 806,000 overdose deaths from 1999-2023 linked to prescription and illegal opioids. Back in 2021, the Pew Charitable Trust estimated the opioid crisis already was responsible for $35 billion in health care costs, $14.8 billion in criminal justice costs, and $92 billion in lost productivity.