The Heat is On –
March 27, 2018 – Q: What is the problem with drug treatment facilities in South Florida, and how does it affect us in Orange County?
A: We’ve seen an influx of thousands of young people descend upon South Florida to enter rehab, and then leave only in an ambulance or body bag. Seventy-five percent of all individuals in private pay rehab in Florida come from out of state … In the past two years, we have led a crackdown on fraud (and) abuse in the drug treatment industry. We’re seeing an exodus of bad players out of the county to other warm weather climates, including Orange County.…
Q: Clients entering rogue rehab facilities tend to fall into a cycle of abuse. Can you describe this cycle?
A: It starts with deceptive marketing; the operator sends a free plane ticket (to the addict), which (in Florida) is a third-degree felony. They lure you down here into a detox or patient recovery center. The individual always has insurance, either on their own or under Affordable Care Act exchanges. If they don’t, the marketer will pay for their insurance and often lie about the address… That’s how the fraud starts.
Now, (clients) get lured down to south Florida. They go through detox, in-patient care (followed by) outpatient care in a sober home, which is an unregulated group home under the protection of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act. Then, once insurance runs out, they either go home, live with their parents and find a job, or they relapse. And the illegal benefits — such as free rent, transportation and other things — begin anew.
