What is Body Brokering in SUD Treatment Centers?
- Tom O'Connor
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
October 27, 2025
Tom O'Connor, Author & Publisher
Robert Kent, Subject Matter Expert
Body brokering, a tactic used by some unethical substance use disorder (SUD) treatment centers, is unfortunately prevalent and illegal in many states. It is a practice meant solely to fill the pockets of a few, not to provide genuine healing or do the most good. This type of body brokering is not to be confused with
Insurance claims for treatment at addiction centers can reach tens of thousands of dollars, which can attract dishonest intermediaries trying to make a quick profit.
Body brokering, also known as patient brokering, is a form of healthcare fraud that prioritizes profit over a person's well-being. This process involves "selling" patients to these centers, often without regard for the quality of care the patients will receive. The practice of patient brokering violates laws designed to protect patients from exploitation.
Some treatment centers pay 'body brokers' substantial fees for each patient they refer, particularly those with good insurance. These brokers actively seek out individuals with addiction or mental health issues in places like sober living homes, online forums, or recovery meetings. To entice these vulnerable people, brokers may offer cash, free rent, gift cards, or airline tickets. This financial gain-based referral system often leads to substandard or unnecessary care, perpetuating the cycle of addiction for the patient.
Some brokers, encouraging relapse, have even been known to provide drugs to patients to trigger a relapse, allowing them to start the cycle of billing all over again.
A separate but similar use of the term "body broker" refering to companies that acquire donated dead bodies, dissect them, and sell the parts for profit to medical researchers and training organizations. Unlike the transplant tissue industry, this market is largely unregulated at the federal level, though some states have oversight.
While federal laws like the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act prohibit this practice, enforcement has historically been a challenge, and it remains prevalent in some states. Some states, like California, Florida, and New York, have passed additional laws to combat patient brokering within their borders.
Please check whether your state(s) have passed additional state laws to prohibit patient brokering.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a research study on Patient brokering in for-profit substance use disorder treatment. Three major themes emerged:
Financial and material enticements.
Encouraging substance use in the for-profit treatment sector.
Contributors to overdose risk. Participants reported that patient brokers would pay for plane tickets and offer financial incentives (e.g., money) to attract individuals to SUD treatment, capitalizing on insurance profits despite initial expenses. Participants reported being encouraged to use drugs before treatment to meet insurance conditions, thus jeopardizing genuine recovery efforts and adding to the temptation of drug use. Many participants linked patient brokering to increased overdose deaths, emphasizing the dangerous practices of brokers providing drugs, promoting relapse, and creating a revolving door of treatment, which compounds the overdose risk after periods of abstinence.
NIH Research Study Conclusions
Patient brokering and unethical abuses in the for-profit treatment industry have caused some people with OUD to seek treatment for money and housing instead of seeking treatment to stop opioid use. The harmful treatment environment was seen as a barrier to care and an unwanted obstacle to overcome on the path to recovery.
My Research Conclusions
I conducted interviews with several individuals and found that they experienced some form of body brokers in treatment centers. As echoed by one of these individuals:
"I was thrown into an insurance scam cycle. I became known to body brokers as a gold mine client because I couldn't stay clean; I always called them for "help," and I had a fantastic insurance policy through my father's business. I would go to detox at least once a month for the next two years. There were a lot of bonuses made off of my last name, I'll tell you that. By that same token, I watched places that spoke about "just wanting to help the next addict ", pack people up and kick them out on the street before their taper was done because their insurance had expired."
Who Are Body Brokers?
Body brokers are individuals or organizations that exploit vulnerable people seeking addiction treatment for financial gain. They act as intermediaries between patients and treatment centers, referring patients to specific facilities in exchange for substantial fees.
How Does Body Brokering Work?
Unethical rehab centers find body brokers to identify patients who need substance use treatment and refer them to their treatment center. Insurance companies pay well for treatment, turning patients with good insurance plans into profitable targets for body brokers. These middlemen find and then refer people with an addiction with good insurance coverage to whatever drug treatment centers are willing to pay the highest finder's fee. Treatment centers involved in body brokering may perform excessive drug testing (and other billable services) to maximize the insurance payout. This further exploits the patient's insurance coverage as the insurer will pay for all costs billed, whether the services were necessary.
To ensure potential clients go to the substance use treatment program that will make the broker the most money, some brokers and group home owners offer free rent, gift cards, and other perks. With kickbacks reaching up to $10,000 per referral, brokers can often easily afford these incentives.
Is Body Brokering Health Care Fraud?
Yes, body brokering is considered health care fraud. This is due to its exploitative and deceptive nature. Other reasons include:
Financial Exploitation: Body brokers receive monetary incentives for referring patients to specific treatment centers, prioritizing profit over patients' best interests. This creates a conflict of interest where decisions are driven by money rather than the patient's needs.
Deceptive Practices: Patients and their families are often misled about the quality and nature of the treatment being provided by body brokers. They may be promised high-quality care, but end up in substandard facilities.
Substandard Care: Treatment facilities participating in body brokering may not provide adequate or ethical care. This compromises the health and safety of vulnerable individuals seeking help for substance use disorders.
Violation of Trust: Health care should be based on trust between the provider and the patient. Body brokering undermines this trust by introducing financial motives that may lead to unethical treatment practices.
Legal and Regulatory Violations: Body brokering often involves illegal kickbacks and violations of laws designed to protect patients from exploitation. This makes it a fraudulent activity under health care regulations.
What to Look For in a Quality SUD Treatment Facility
With thousands of programs and rehabs to choose from, it can be challenging to assess which addiction treatment programs offer the highest quality of care.
Finding the right treatment facility is all too important, given the time, money, and energy that substance use disorder treatment and recovery require of not only the individual, but the entire family.
I have identified the following elements that quality substance use disorder treatment facilities should possess.
They have a written, enforceable policy against "kickbacks" for referrals. Quality programs won't pay for patient referrals and will not engage in patient brokering practices.
They treat detox medically. Detox for alcohol and benzodiazepines requires medical supervision to ensure seizures don't occur. Therefore, make sure that if the program offers detox, they also have 24-hour medical care. The program should also provide medication to alleviate specific symptoms of withdrawal, like restlessness, nausea, and diarrhea.
They're accredited. It's a good sign if they hold the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) Gold Seal for Behavioral Health, or a Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) certification.
They have full-time staff with credentials in addiction counseling. Full-time staff who provide individual and group counseling treatment should have professional credentials, not just be in recovery.
They understand and are equipped to handle co-occurring disorders if needed for your patient. Quality programs will have co-occurring disorder treatment integrated into the curriculum. This can also be folded into dedicated tracks for anxiety, ADHD, trauma, eating disorders, gambling, etc. This goes beyond simply telling patients, "You can bring your other meds." They should be able to provide mental health assessments, identify appropriate interventions, and prescribe medications if required.
Their program is gender- and age-appropriate. The developmental needs of a teen are very different from those of a young adult or adult. Similarly, the experiences of young women who have struggled with substance use are typically very different from those of young men. Stronger treatment facilities will offer separate programming to address these differences rather than place your child in a one-size-fits-all program.
They practice evidence-based treatments. It's important to understand that these approaches are the foundation of group and individual counseling, not just knowledge held by one or two counselors on staff.
They include family in the process. Good treatment will involve families more in the process, beyond a simple phone check-in. Usually, the family component contains education about substance use disorders, understanding the family dynamics, and ways the family can support their child's recovery.
They have a step-down or discharge process. Better facilities take continuing care seriously and offer dedicated discharge planners to ensure that all aftercare appointments are scheduled in advance of discharge. Some facilities offer to assign a mentor through a 12-step group or an alumnus of the treatment center, or to continue calling post-treatment to check in on your child's progress.
Tom O'Connor, publisher of Vital Voyage Blog at www.vitalvoyageblog.com/ and author of Discover Your Adult Child www.discoveryouradultchild.com/
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