Just when you think the news about the opioid crisis in the state couldn’t get any worse, Attorney General Maura Healey issued an advisory this week cautioning against recruiters that are luring Massachusetts residents in need of treatment to out-of-state facilities that provide “little or no care to the patients.”
Healey said those battling substance use disorder are often offered airfare and payment for insurance coverage to travel to “treatment” centers in Arizona, California, and Florida. The AG said in some instances, in addition to poor or non-existent care, “the recruiters have stopped paying insurance premiums, which has resulted in patients getting removed from treatment facilities and stranded out of state without access to housing, health care, or the financial resources to return to Massachusetts.”
To safely access treatment services, people can contact the Massachusetts Substance Abuse Hotline at 1-800-327-5050.