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The Rehab Paradox: Where People Fly In to Get Sober — and Overdose Instead
The Rehab Paradox: Where People Fly In to Get Sober — and Overdose Instead
More treatment centers are supposed to mean fewer overdoses. In Orange County's ten-city treatment hub, researchers found the opposite: across 33 million emergency department records (2019–2021), visitors from other California counties had 68% higher overdose odds inside the hub, and out-of-state visitors 159% higher — a pattern the authors link to patient brokering, overbilling schemes, and patients isolated far from home. The study shows association, not proof the centers caused the overdoses.
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