Major Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida, bringing with it devastating storm surge, winds, and inland flooding. The Seminole Tribe of Florida should have access to the federal resources required for emergency response and recovery preparations on...
Major Hurricane Milton is forecasted to potentially hinder or obstruct the Port of Tampa Bay, which receives more than 40 percent of Florida’s petroleum products. It’s crucial for the federal government to expedite all requested measures to protect Florida’s economy...
Major Hurricane Milton is forecasted to impact Florida with devastating storm surge, winds, and inland flooding. After just being hit by Hurricane Helene, it’s crucial for the State of Florida to have the support of the federal government. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio...
This year marks the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks against Israel. 32 Americans died in those attacks, and four of the Americans taken hostage that day remain in captivity. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a video remembering the...
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s gulf coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with the Florida Farm Bureau as well as local agricultural producers, farmers, and growers to discuss the storm’s impact. Photos are courtesy of...
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s Gulf Coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with local officials and volunteers from the barrier islands to discuss the storm’s impact and current recovery efforts. Photos are courtesy of...
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) announced today that his legislation, the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act, which he introduced with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), to help stop payments to middlemen referring patients to illicit sober homes and treatment centers—increasingly a problem in South Florida—has been included in the opioids package. The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the bill tomorrow, and the Senate will follow suit in the near future.
In May, Rubio also introduced the Sober Home Fraud Detection Act, which would help states, law enforcement, private insurers and patients identify potentially illicit sober home providers to ensure those who need treatment are able to do so from legitimate facilities while also preventing health care fraud. The Sober Home Fraud Detection Act was also included in the opioids package.
“Too many Americans suffering from the opioid crisis are exploited by illicit actors seeking to make a profit from addiction,” Rubio said. “My provision in this opioid package is vital in stopping the cash flow for patient brokers involved with illicit sober homes and treatment facilities, an issue that has long plagued South Florida and cost too many lives. I thank my colleagues in the House and Senate for their help in securing this important provision, and I look forward to its passage in the overall opioid package so that we can begin to take real steps toward solving the opioid crisis.”
“It is critical that our federal partners have the tools available to assist local efforts to combat the fraud and abuse that has plagued the legitimate treatment industry. We appreciate the support from Senators Rubio and Klobuchar to empower federal prosecutors to go after corrupt kickbacks to patient brokers,” said Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, who leads the Sober Homes Task Force in South Florida and brought the issue of patient brokering to Senator Rubio’s attention.
“As the leading non-profit provider of addiction treatment in the country, we are grateful to Senators Rubio and Klobuchar for addressing the unethical practice of patient brokering,” said Mark Mishek, President and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. “No other area of healthcare allows patient leads to be bought and sold, and the addiction treatment industry should be no exception. Far too many vulnerable people and families suffering from substance use disorder are being harmed by unethical marketing and business practices that turn patients into commodities. This provision of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act takes important steps to help ensure quality, ethical care for all who seek addiction treatment.”