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Addiction Professionals 5 Must Know Items

Patient Brokering has hit like a category 5 hurricane. It is affecting treatment center owners, detox center owners, sober home operators, and all Addiction professionals. This hurricane is hitting full force with 5 bills HB 807 (SB 788), HB 249 (SB 588), HB 477, HB 557 (SB 840), and SB 866 (HB 791). This hurricane is directed towards patient brokers, drug dealers, prescribing doctors, and hospitals (collection of OD data). It also requires treatment centers to operate quite differently facing severe penalties, felony charges, and jail time. The old “Laissez-faire” operating mentality is gone and being replaced because of abuse, irresponsibility, and the loss of many lives. The Patient Brokering laws passed in Florida affect the nation. All addiction professionals must be aware of the new Florida patient brokering laws as of July 1, 2017.

BHNR Educates on Ethical Business Practices Fighting Patient Brokering

This is first time our industry will have regulations designed to get rid of the large underground network of patient brokers. The passed legislation is ultimately designed to address the heroin epidemic and save lives. If you do not completely understand all the legislation that has come and is coming you will not be operating soon.

At Behavioral Health Network Resources (BHNR) October 27, 2016 event where we honored the Riviera Beach Civil Drug Court. We raised over $400,000 worth of treatment scholarships (services not monies). At that event, we said there was a hurricane coming to South Florida. We were preparing the addiction professionals for the upcoming changes. BHNR hosts addiction conferences (8 events total) educating Executives on the ethical business side of addiction. Behavioral Health Network Resources knew it was their responsibility to fight against patient brokering. To use our loud voice in the professional community, and on social media educating on these complex changes.

Patient Brokering Florida Understanding the Landscape

About three months ago we started attending the Sober Homes Task Force and Palm Beach County Substance Awareness Coalition (PBCSAC) Meetings. We did this to try and understand the legislative process and the changes that are coming from some of the industry's addiction professionals. We sat quietly, listening, getting educated, and took in all the information that we could to get an understanding to educate the professional community and the Executives attending our events.

We sat in meetings and tried to get an understanding on these changes. We noticed that there are only about 40-50 organizations participating with these organizations. These organizations have formed the landscape for the legislative changes. Any organization that has not been present, or decided not to participate could have helped mold the new regulated addiction treatment industry.

Educating Treatment Industry for Clarity

In our journey over the last several months, there are still areas where we are confused. The legal jargon that the bills are written can be extremely difficult to understand. Trying to completely understand some areas where there are loop holes. We have spoken with many operators and addiction professionals. Many thought the changes will never happen. Almost all are relying on the interpretation of their legal counsel, or even worse an interpretation from their peers. We have also seen on social media the same type of reaction with many complaining, but few getting involved.

This prompted Behavioral Health Network resources to include this is our addiction conferences series. To put the forging Father's in an open town hall forum for the operators to get educated. The Addiction Executive Thought Leader Panel Series “Fighting Patient Brokering” May 10, 2017 event in Riviera Beach put owners directly in front of the driving force on these changes (Sober Homes Task Force) with 5 Executive panelists. You can check out the live podcast of that event at the bottom of this article.

Addiction Conferences Executive Panel Series Events

This event had 210 participants, 120 organizations, 12 attorneys, and 75% of the registrants were CEO's and Directors. We urged all to get involved in molding our industry and be an "Agent of Change". To start attending the Some Homes Task Force, and the Palm Beach County Substance Awareness Coalition meetings. Please visit all the sponsors, exhibitors, attendees, and volunteers that made this event possible. CLICK HERE

Our industry is changing fast, self-regulation, unity, and positive messages are needed. We felt it's extremely important for all professionals in our industry to gai n as much knowledge as possible on these drastic changes and have allowed access to 1.5 Billion people on Facebook with the Facebook Live feed of the event. Below you can visit the panelist portion of the event and get educated on some of the issues.

Patient Brokering Laws in Florida

The current Florida law that was passed on July 1, 2017 (HB 807 (SB 788)) broken down to simplistic terms;

Rehab Marketing an Patient Brokering

Marketing: Drug treatment center marketers will need to be licensed by the state’s Division of Consumer Services. Deceiving, lying, or misleading about treatment services offered, amenities, and the high jacking of 800 numbers will be first-degree misdemeanor. We have been educating centers of the 800-number high jacking using our national social media audience, and as a personality on the national Recovery Radio Raw Show with Indian Bob.

Patient Brokering Arrests Florida Legal Issues

Criminal Penalties: Statewide you can be investigated and prosecuted for patient brokering. Prosecution could result in a felony and the fines increase with the number of patients brokered. Brokering more than 20 patients will be a first-degree felony and a whopping fine of $500,000.

Patient Brokering and DCF

DCF's Role (Department of Children and Families): It will now cost much more to license a facility and the penalty for operating without a license is a third-degree felony with a maximum 5 years in jail. DCF significant increase in licensing fees. Operating without a license becomes a third-degree felony, carrying a maximum five-year prison sentence. DCF now must draft the new rules including; clinical, treatment best-practices, operating standards, levels of qualifications for addiction professionals and the number of staff that will be required to operate. DCF will also be allowed to visit you center anytime without notice and inspect all the above.

As a treatment center owner, detox center owner, sober living owner and all addiction professionals you need to completely understand the 5 bills that have passed below;

BHNR has been educating CEO’s, Executives, Directors and Outreach professionals since 2014 with their Addiction Executive conferences. Their talk show host/town hall forum enables the audience to control the content in an open forum. Each event has at least 5 Executive thought leader panelists, providing proven business, and marketing strategies. You can check out their last “EMP” Addiction Professional Conference where they welcomed Addiction Campuses to South Florida in front of 180 addiction professionals attending the event. They provide many business, and marketing tools for CEO's, Executives, Directors, and Outreach professionals, gaining knowledge for your organization to survive the difficult changes occurring in our industry. This event focused on the future of patient brokering, website structure, SEO, branding, organic marketing, and tools for Outreach Professionals. If you would like to sponsor one of our 2018 events, contact Behavioral Health Network Resources CEO, Charles Davis at 561-235-6195.

Patient Brokering Bills Now Law

HB 807 (SB 788) — Marketers will now have to be licensed and there are stiff penalties and fines for patient brokering. and centers will be help legally liable for deceptive marketing practices. It makes DCF the "big brother" and enforcer of the industry. You cna find more information by reading "Top Five Criteria Sober Living West Palm Beach"

Sponsors: Reps. Bill Hager, R-Boca Raton; Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart; and Joseph Abruzzo, D-Boca Raton; and Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Atlantis.

HB 249 (SB 588) — Paramedics, emergency techs, and hospitals to collect data on overdoses and report them to the Dept. of Health. Forces hospitals to adapt overdose protocols.

Sponsors: Reps. Bob Rommel, R-Naples, Larry Lee Jr., D-Fort Pierce; and Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples.

HB 477 —  Directly attacks drug dealers with min. and mandatory jail time including heavy fines for dealing in fentanyl. It also gives prosecutors the option of imposing murder charges.

Sponsors: Reps. Kathleen Peters, R-St. Petersburg; and Charlie Stone, R-Ocala.

HB 557 (SB 840) — Directed towards prescribing physicians controlling the quantity of opioids prescribed to five days. The Prescriptions that are filled for any controlled substances must be reported in the State prescription drug monitoring database within one day.

Sponsors: Rep. Nicholas Duran, D-Miami, Rep. David Silvers, D-West Palm Beach; and Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Atlantis.

SB 886 (HB 791) — Protects individuals that have been Marchman Acted by making their court records confidential.

Sponsors: Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach; and Rep. Joseph Abruzzo, D-Boca Raton.

Patient Brokering Florida Sets the Regualtion Pace for the Nation

While Florida has one of the worst reputations for addiction treatment in the US, we must realize that Florida is also one of the most popular destinations for treatment and one of the nation's largest providers of treatment. The large underground patient brokering network is national and many other states have the same issues as Florida, however the spot light has been on South Florida. The work that has been done and will be done is setting a precedence to be followed nationally, and with Dave Aronberg, his army, and national plans to save lives puts Florida in a positive light with the new "Florida Model" to be followed.

Sponsor Future Addiction Conferences

BHNR is dedicated to educating Addiction Executives on ethical business practices nationwide, while our events attracting a national audience. We are in process of hosting our Addiction Executive Thought Leader Panel Series events in other states like California, Texas, and in the Northeast. If your organization is dedicated to ethical business practices and want to educate your peers we would like to speak with you about partnering on an event in your state. Our conferences have helped us build up one od the largest addiction audiences in the nation. These conferences have assisted us in being educated by successful thought leaders in addiction treatment marketing.Addiction Professional Groups Fighting Against Patient Brokering

Facebook Addiction Professional Referral Group 16,000 Members (1,200 being vetted for approval). Extremely active group that is an outstanding ethical resource for Addiction Professionals. This group has banned over 4,000 questionable members. CLICK HERE

Linkedin Addiction Professional Referral Group 15,000 Members

Facebook Generation “X” Addiction Unleashed 10,000 Members

Facebook South Florida Addiction Connection 2,000 South Florida Members

Facebook Addiction Treatment Industry Top 100 6,000 Members

Facebook South Florida Connection Addiction and Behavioral Health 10,000 Members

Facebook Addiction and Behavioral Health Events 5,000 Members

Facebook  ᗩᗪᗪIᑕTIOᑎ ᖇEᔕᑕᑌE; ᕼEᒪᑭ ᗷEᖴOᖇE IT’ᔕ TOO ᒪᗩTE 6,000 Members

Facebook New Jersey Addiction Support 2,000 Members

Facebook Addiction and Behavioral Health Options 2,500 Members

Facebook 𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒚𝒄𝒍𝒆 1,000 Members