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What is patient brokering, and how do I avoid it?

Choosing treatment1 answer · asked 2 days ago
From the RecoveryHome team. We write some questions from situations people often ask us about, and answer them with general information from public health sources. Been through this yourself? Your answer could help the next person who finds this page. How we write team posts
RH
RecoveryHome team Team
asked 2 days ago

News stories describe people being "sold" to treatment centers. What is patient brokering, and what are the warning signs?

RH
RecoveryHome team Team
answered 2 days ago · general information, not medical advice

Patient brokering is paying or receiving money, gifts, or other benefits in exchange for sending someone to a treatment program. A federal law passed in 2018, the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act, makes it a crime in many situations, and several states have their own laws. It harms people because the referral is based on who pays the most, not on what the person needs.

Warning signs:

  • Offers of free flights, free rent, cash, gifts, or phones to enter a program
  • A recovery home that's free only if you attend a particular program
  • A hotline or "helpline" that won't say which programs it represents or how it's paid
  • Pressure to go far from home, right now
  • Being moved to a new program when insurance coverage runs out

How to protect yourself: look up programs yourself, using FindTreatment.gov or SAMHSA's helpline (1-800-662-4357), and ask any referral service directly how it is paid.

RecoveryHome never sells or routes calls. Every call on this site goes directly to the center.

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What is patient brokering, and how do I avoid it? · RecoveryHome