Investigating LA’s ‘Rehab Riviera’ and the exploitation of addicts

Southern California has more than 1,000 licensed rehab centers, and many unlicensed sober living homes. But some of these rehab centers are taking advantage of a loosely regulated industry to exploit addicts. The addicts become a means for clinics to bilk both insurers and taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of dollars, while doing little to treat those desperate for help. That’s according to a new series in the O.C. Register.