Rob Reiner Tragedy: Why the $42 Billion Addiction Industry Doesn't Want to Fix Itself

The 28-day treatment model has been the standard since the 1970s. Relapse rates have stayed roughly the same. The approach hasn't fundamentally evolved. In almost every other area of medicine, fifty years of data showing 40-90% failure rates would have triggered a complete overhaul. So why hasn't that happened with addiction treatment? In Part 2 of our examination following the Nick Reiner tragedy, psychotherapist Shavaun Scott follows the money.

A $42 billion industry where every relapse is another admission, another billing cycle. Facilities get paid whether treatment works or not. Insurance companies control treatment length through utilization review, overriding treating physicians and deciding when someone is "stable enough" for discharge regardless of clinical judgment. There's no standardized outcome tracking. No required reporting of success rates. Families can't comparison shop because the data doesn't exist.

Shavaun examines the regulatory gap — in many states, the barrier to opening a treatment facility is shockingly low, with minimal oversight and no consequences for poor outcomes. We identify who pushes back when reform is proposed: treatment industry lobbyists, insurance companies, pharmaceutical interests. The research showing what works exists. Longer treatment. Integrated mental health care. Medication-assisted treatment. So what's blocking evidence-based care from becoming the norm? Is meaningful reform possible, or is this system too protected to change?

#NickReiner #RobReiner #AddictionIndustry #RehabProfits #TreatmentReform #ShavaunScott #InsuranceCompanies #HealthcareCorruption #OpioidCrisis #HiddenKillers

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This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.