HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana attorney general's office says nearly $1 million collected in drug company settlements will be used to help pay for prescription medicine for people who are uninsured and underinsured.
Attorney General Steve Bullock said in a statement Thursday the money came from settlements dating back to 2010 with four drug companies accused of inflating the wholesale prices of drugs paid by Medicare and Medicaid.
Bullock says the $986,000 can be used to pay for any drugs covered by Medicare or Medicaid. Local hospitals and community health care clinics can apply for grants.
The four settlements totaled $1.67 million. Besides the $986,000 earmarked for the prescription drug program, about $200,000 went to the state's Medicaid program. The rest, more than $480,000, went to the attorney general's Office of Consumer Protection.
