New Hampshire's two Democratic senators are concerned that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has indicated it won't change a funding formula to help the state's response to the opioid crisis.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan say the formula that determines Opioid State Targeted Response grants underfunds response efforts in New Hampshire and other hard-hit states. They said for Fiscal Year 2018, the department will continue to consider state population size, rather than the rate of overdose death, as a significant factor in determining funding.
In the House, Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster and Republican Rep. Evan Jenkins of West Virginia introduced a bill to ensure that states most affected by the opioid crisis receive appropriate resources.
New Hampshire was eligible for only $3 million of the $500 million in funding available for Fiscal Year 2017.
