In the world of addiction treatment you’re going to get a mixed bag of options, no pun intended. When it comes to the treatment centers out there many of them, even the high priced ones, will help patients become healthy happy men and women. But the fact is many fraudulent groups exist. Some organizations will make money off the recovery system at the expense of the addicts they are supposed to be helping. Well for you and the thousands of addicts in California we have good news, our state has laws against this practice called patient brokering. Let’s dig in and learn more.
Patient Brokering
In a nutshell patient brokering is when a residential recovery center, addiction specialist or anyone else involved in this industry receives a value or promised value for referring a person seeking treatment for substance use disorders.
California Statute SB 1228 went into effect September 2018. Under this law, Governor Jerry Brown banned the following from participating in patient brokering:
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Residential centers licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)
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DHCS-certified outpatient treatment centers
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Owners, partners and anyone with at least 10% interest in licensed or certified programs
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Employees and anyone working for these organizations
Fines Are Huge
As part of these new laws that went into effect September 2018 the fines for patient brokering also increased:
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No license can be re-applied for 5 years after the previous revocation
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Fines for operating unlicensed programs or facilities went from $200 a day to $2,000 a day
Get Treatment for Drug Addiction or Alcoholism
Alcoholism and drug addiction are serious illnesses that should never be taken lightly. All it takes to fall off the wagon and get sick is to take that first hit, snort, shot or injection and you’re rolling down the hill into insanity. But you can always push the train back up but it’s gonna be a tough climb. But with the right mix of persistence and determination you can get back on track and be happy again.
Are you an addict or do you have an addict in your life?
In either case reach out to Asana Recovery today. Our team of counselors and medical professionals will help you through the brutal process of detox and withdrawal and guide you through the recovery process. Soon you’ll be recovering faster and better.
For more information about our residential treatment or detox/withdrawal programs or to enroll in one of these programs today call us at (949) 763-3440. We’ll talk to you when you’re ready and comfortable.
