Fraudulent Sober Homes Exploited Native Americans, Say Authorities

[question everything]

Cross posting from Early Americans group

https://www.democraticunderground.com/11912368

(snip)

For months, state and federal law-enforcement officials have been investigating a Medicaid scam in which hundreds of fraudulent sober-living homes in the Phoenix area have recruited Native Americans from across the West. Working with rehab facilities, the businesses charged the state millions of dollars for addiction services they didn’t provide, according to authorities.

Several thousand Native Americans, some from as far away as Montana, might have been lured to the Arizona homes, according to officials. Instead of getting help, some reported rampant drug use and drinking in the homes and little in the way of rehab.

Others told authorities that they were barred from contacting friends or relatives, some of whom had no idea where they were. Several tribal members told The Wall Street Journal they were offered payment by the operators of the homes to recruit other Native Americans.

According to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, the amount of Medicaid reimbursement money the state paid out to facilities under the billing code used for substance-abuse treatment jumped from $53 million in fiscal year 2019 to $668 million in fiscal year 2022. While those totals include payments to legitimate operators, Mayes said it was the extreme growth that signaled to authorities something was amiss.

About 250 rehab providers in Arizona have been suspended from the state’s Medicaid program this year while investigators assess whether they defrauded the government. The list includes at least one of the places where Anagal sought treatment.

More..

https://archive.ph/lYXTR

[tulipsandroses]

1. The recovery business is rampant with shady unscrupulous folks

It’s really shameful and sad. I worked at a detox facility for several years. I know these stories all too well.

[AZLD4Candidate]

2. go to mental health facilities and they are even worse.

You are treated with less privileges and rights than criminals and all you want to do is get better. Those places actually make you worse off.

[Ptah]

3. Spread the word!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/103812524

The Blackfeet Nation has declared a public health state of emergency for what it is calling a humanitarian crisis in Arizona.

The declaration was made for all Blackfeet Tribal members affected by shuttered fraudulent behavioral health treatment facilities in Arizona. Tribal leaders unanimously approved the order after learning several tribal members may have been victimized in a massive Medicaid fraud scheme.

As MTN News recently reported, the scheme is sophisticated and targets tribal members, taking them from reservations to the Phoenix area with a promise of addiction recovery and free housing. In reality, many are ending up on the streets, back under the influence with no way to get home.

According to Arizona state officials, the scam works like this:

*Fraudulent sober living homes lured thousands of Native Americans to the state, where they were provided free housing but no treatment
*Those fake providers then allegedly billed for services not provided - up to $1,300 per person per day, collecting millions in Medicaid payments from the state
*Arizona is now shutting fraudulent homes down, leaving tribal members homeless and often under the influence of drugs or alcohol in an unfamiliar city

https://www.krtv.com/neighborhood-news/indian-country/blackfeet-nation-declares-state-of-emergency-due-to-arizona-treatment-home-scandal

[Kali]

4. I was just going to link to your post as well.

[Ptah]

5. It has cooled off here in town.

How's it there?

[Kali]

6. freaking dry

yeah, cooler this evening but man the rain situation was bad this summer. gonna have to ship some cows so we have feed for what we keep.

[Ptah]

7. Yea, it has been a dry summer.

Sorry about your herd.

I hope you can recover soon.

[Kali]

8. thanks

we should be ok, numbers were up because last year was pretty good. name of the game. I just hate seeing the two burnt mountains going to have to wait another whole year. its kind of funny just to the north east and even right along Dragoon Road when you turn off from the interstate is is pretty green. the side of the mountain towards Dragoon on the Amerind is bright green but our side is still black.