# More rehab centers mean more overdoses in Orange County > Out-of-state patients in California's rehab hub overdose at twice the rate of locals. - Title: More rehab centers mean more overdoses in Orange County - Summary: Out-of-state patients in California's rehab hub overdose at twice the rate of locals. Orange County's high concentration of rehab centers leads to twice as… - Keywords: orange county, rehab centers, overdose, fentanyl, addiction treatment, insurance fraud, california, science, ideas, More, rehab, centers - Source: The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/more-rehab-centers-should-mean-fewer-overdoses-in-one-california-region-we-found-the-opposite-285569 - Author: Ilan Shrira - Read time: 1 min - Topics: orange county, rehab centers, overdose, fentanyl, addiction treatment, insurance fraud, california, science, ideas ## Boyd's story Boyd, a 24-year-old from Chicago, overdosed on fentanyl after multiple readmissions to a rehab center in Orange County. > He was found unresponsive in the bathroom at that facility ## Orange County's rehab hub Orange County has 14 treatment centers per 100,000 residents, far exceeding the national average of 5. > 14 treatment centers per 100,000 residents in orange county compared with 5 per 100,000 nationwide ## Insurance fraud scheme Rehab centers bill insurance companies for unnecessary services at inflated prices, pocketing up to $3,000 per day per patient. > from a few hundred to us three thousand dollars per day for each patient ## Out-of-state patients at risk Out-of-state visitors to Orange County rehab centers overdose at 159% higher rates than out-of-state visitors elsewhere in California. > out-of-state visitors to the study area were treated for 316 overdoses. here, overdoses were a staggering 159% higher than expected ## Insurance coverage gaps Patients with insurance coverage end up being kicked out of rehab centers after their coverage expires, risking homelessness or relapse. > patients who are far from home may not be able to afford the return trip ## Predatory treatment schemes Rehab centers recruit out-of-state patients with free housing and travel, then bill insurance for unnecessary services. > there is even a market of third-party patient recruiters who get large kickbacks from treatment centers for each patient they bring ## Weak oversight California's health agency takes nearly a year to investigate complaints, and three months after a patient dies at a rehab center. > taking an average of nearly a year to complete most investigations and about three months to do so after a patient dies ## Study findings Out-of-state patients in Orange County overdose at 159% higher rates than out-of-state patients elsewhere in California. > out-of-state visitors to the study area were treated for 316 overdoses. here, overdoses were a staggering 159% higher than expected ## Treatment industry risks Predatory schemes cause overdoses and drain healthcare costs, with patients facing homelessness or relapse after insurance coverage ends. > patients who are far from home may not be able to afford the return trip ## Study area The study focused on a 10-city region in Orange County with 35 treatment centers per 100,000 residents. > the study area had 35 treatment centers per 100,000 residents ## Overdose rates Out-of-state patients in Orange County overdose at 159% higher rates than out-of-state patients elsewhere in California. > out-of-state visitors to the study area were treated for 316 overdoses. here, overdoses were a staggering 159% higher than expected ## California's oversight California's health agency has been criticized for lax regulations and slow complaint investigations in the addiction treatment industry. > the california department of health care services, the state agency that licenses and oversees addiction treatment centers, has been criticized as having lax regulations ## What happens next Patients traveling for treatment should be cautious about facilities they have never seen in person. > one important takeaway for people considering treatment, and for their families, is to be very cautious about traveling far from home to enter a facility you have never seen in person ## Key takeaway Orange County's high concentration of rehab centers leads to twice as many overdoses among out-of-state patients compared to locals.