ABUSING THE SYSTEM –
July 8, 2025 – Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg’s next political steps are still undetermined, but his latest creative endeavor is now available for home and digital shelves.
He has co-authored a new book with Dr. David R. Campbell, an orthopedic surgeon and the chief medical correspondent for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” examining systemic abuses in addiction treatment.
Titled “Fighting the Florida Shuffle,” the 236-page exposé from Pensacola-based Indigo River Publishing takes aim at the darker side of a multibillion-dollar industry that is meant to support recovery, but has often profited from relapse.
Drawing on their respective backgrounds in law enforcement and medicine, Aronberg and Campbell chronicle how vulnerable individuals seeking treatment have been exploited by profit-driven schemes that prioritize insurance payouts over patient care.
“Drug treatment has become a thriving enterprise, but the profit motive has lured predators to exploit the vulnerable who seek help,” the book’s description says.
“As rogue rehab owners line their pockets through insurance fraud, patient brokering and illegal kickbacks, their victims leave behind grieving families and loved ones, who wonder how the insurance coverage thought to be a lifeline led to increased overdose and premature death.”
The book’s title refers to a practice where individuals with substance use disorders are recruited, sometimes with free plane tickets, and cycled through substandard outpatient programs and so-called “sober homes,” often with fatal consequences.
Many victims are lured with misleading promises only to find themselves in unsafe, unregulated facilities that prioritize billing over recovery.
