Opioid Makers Have Raised Insurance Cost For North Carolinians, Lawsuit Claims

A North Carolina man has filed a lawsuit against more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies, alleging that their targeted marketing and distribution of prescription opioids has directly led to higher insurance costs for North Carolinians. Kevin Wilk of Wake County filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Wilk — who buys his health insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, according to the suit — is seeking class action status on behalf of himself and anyone or entity who purchased health insurance policies in North Carolina since 1996. The suit estimates that almost six million people in North Carolina are currently enrolled in private health insurance.