As part of our series of resources on helping journalists cover the opioid settlement funds entering their community, Reporting on Addiction hosted a fireside chat with Aneri Pattani, a senior correspondent at KFF Health News on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

In this 30-minute discussion with Aneri, we discuss the basics of the settlements, including how and when states will receive funds and guidelines for spending, as well as brainstorm potential stories journalists can begin working on today.

Aneri has been a journalist for more than 10 years, and will spend the next year reporting on the opioid lawsuit settlements across the country for KFF Health News. Her work spans text and audio platforms, and she has been heard on NPR and Science Friday. Her stories have received national recognition, including a 2021 award from the Institute for Nonprofit News for reporting on the flawed oversight of addiction treatment facilities in Pennsylvania. She was also part of a team that received the News Leaders Association’s 2021 Batten Medal for Coverage of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Before joining KFF Health News, Aneri wrote for Spotlight PA, a collaborative newsroom investigating the Pennsylvania state government. She was a 2019 recipient of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism. Aneri is also pursuing a masters in public health at Johns Hopkins University.