From Florida to California — What Can We Do?
Body brokering has been around for some time. Surprisingly, many have never heard of it. In a nutshell, there are people who profit from vulnerable individuals struggling with substance use disorders by trying to make it seem like they are there to help.
For example, Body Brokering is Making the Opioid Crisis Worse is an interview of a woman whose son was taken advantage of by body brokers. He had good health insurance and was recruited by people who are paid by rehab facilities to refer patients. In these situations, profits often come before patients, and the quality of care patients receive can often be questionable. Many patients are also encouraged to relapse so they can receive or continue to receive care. Some patients also receive part of the kickback money.
The video explains, “When the opioid crisis exploded in the early 2000’s, demand grew for treatment with limited options for those in need. But that started to change in 2010 with the passage of the Affordable Care Act. There has been a continued expansion of treatment facilities as a for profit business. Between 2010–2017 the for-profit treatment facilities grew by 20%. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated in 2010 there were 3985 facilities and by 2017 there were 4931. They knew they would get a ton of…
