Arizona's cracking down on fake rehab centers. What's the political fall out and what's next?

At least $2.3 billion has been milked from Arizona taxpayers since
2019 in a shocking fake rehab program that mainly targeted
Indigenous communities.  Scammers posing as legitimate workers
or counselors for sober living communities in Phoenix would patrol
areas where Native Americans would gather to buy and consume
alcohol. They would then pick up people who were intoxicated on
drugs or alcohol and take them to Phoenix. Once there they'd have
them sign up for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System,
or AHCCS. Once signed up, the victims would have their AHCCS
accounts billed for alleged mental health treatment or addiction
rehabilitation. But none of these treatments were ever provided.
But the fraud cut deeper than just loss of money. Victims
found themselves stranded in the Valley, blackmailed and with no
real support. Some even lost their lives in these fake sober living
homes. "For years, these providers have allegedly defrauded the
state of millions of dollars while creating a large-scale
humanitarian crisis that disproportionately affects Arizona’s
tribal communities," Gov. Katie Hobbs said at a press meeting.
"This is tragic," Attorney General Kris Mayes added. "What has
happened is tragic and outrageous. And, and I’ll just speak for
myself as the attorney general of this state, I believe the state
of Arizona owes our tribal nations an apology.  In this
episode of The Gaggle, host Mary Jo Pitzl sits down with the
reporters who covered the story: Stephanie Innes, Arlyssa Becenti,
and Richard Ruelas.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
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