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Rehab Racket: Counting a clinic's patients

ABLE FAMILY: OPEN FOR BUSINESS Workers at Able Family Support rehab clinic pulled back the metal security gates around 8 a.m. April 4, 2013. Reporters stationedin parked cars watched both entrances to the Panorama City, Calif., clinic untilemployees locked up 10 hours later. No more than 30 people – including staff - entered the clinic. Yet a month later, Able Family Support billed Medi-Cal for providing counseling to 179 people that day, at a cost to taxpayers of $6,400. Los Angeles County paid the bill, but investigators now say the billing appears suspicious. The clinic operated a small satellite office, but a security guard said trafficthere was limited to about 25 people a day. The clinic's director isn't explaining the discrepancy. ABLE FAMILY SUPPORT PATIENTS BILLED 4/4/2013 NO MORE THAN 30 PEOPLE – INCLUDING STAFF- WERE OBSERVED ENTERING THE CLINIC BY REPORTERS GROUP COUNSELING 131 PEOPLE@ $27.25 $3,569.75 INTENSIVE COUNSELING 48 PEOPLE @ $58.84 $2,824.32 YET LOS ANGELES COUNTY WAS TOTAL COST TO TAXPAYERS BILLED FOR AN $3,569.75 $2,824.32 ADDITIONAL 149 PATIENTS $6,394.07 NOTE: Toavoid double-counting, notincluded inthe total was billing for individual counseling for seven people at $64.13 each,or $448.91 total. SOURCES:CIR research and Los Angeles County Substance Abuse Preventionand Control CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

Rehab Racket: Counting a clinic's patients

shared by cironline on Jul 30
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Some rehab centers use "ghost clients" to pad their coffers. See how the practice works.

Publisher

Center for Investigative Reporting

Category

Health
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