ICYMI: North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Announces Updated Opioid Action Plan, Reiterates Need for Medicaid Expansion in Opioid Fight

Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper yesterday announced the launch of the Opioid Action Plan 2.0 – an updated version of his action plan launched in 2017. The updated plan calls for a continued reduction in opioid overdoses by 2021 and increases focus on expanding access to care.
Gov. Cooper highlighted the progress North Carolina has made in combating the opioid crisis but reiterated to critical role Medicaid expansion would play in achieving this next level of success.  Studies show that Medicaid expansions increase access to opioid use disorder treatments.
Read more about the progress under Gov. Cooper’s action plan and what else he says needs to be done:
WRAL: “Cooper pitches Medicaid expansion as weapon in opioids battle”
North Carolina is making progress in the fight against opioids, Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday, but there’s still much work to do, and Medicaid expansion would make a huge difference in that fight.
AP: “Updated North Carolina opioid action plan released at summit”
Gov. Roy Cooper says carrying out an updated action plan against opioid addiction and abuse in North Carolina will help reduce suffering for more victims and their families, as data shows recent improvements fighting the problems. Cooper unveiled the second edition of the “NC Opioid Action Plan” on Tuesday at the state’s Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit in Raleigh.
WLOS: “WNC health care providers applaud Gov. Cooper’s latest plan to fight opioids”
Gov. Roy Cooper launched a new initiative Tuesday to tackle the opioid crisis. “We are launching the N.C. Opioid Action Plan 2.0 with three main points — prevent, reduce harm and connect to care,” Cooper said.
The News & Observer: “Gov. Cooper and state reveal new, updated plan to combat the opioid epidemic”
Over 13,000 North Carolinians have died from opioid overdoses since 1999, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates opioid-related deaths cost the state $2.5 billion in 2017 alone. But the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is celebrating progress on several fronts, officials said Tuesday at the 2019 Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit.
WFMY: “Opioid Dispensing Decreased 24 Percent in NC Since 2017: Gov. Cooper”
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper talked about the state’s fight against opioid abuse on Tuesday, unveiling a revised plan and noting the reduction in dispensing. Cooper says since the Opioid Action plan was launched in 2017, opioid dispensing has decreased by 24 percent. The governor’s address was part of an opioid summit in Raleigh.