370 Episode: Exposing the "Florida Shuffle": How Greed Corrupted the Treatment Industry with Benjamin Flaherty

In this powerful episode, Duane sits down with filmmaker Benjamin Flaherty to discuss his hard-hitting documentary, Shuffle. The film pulls back the curtain on the "Florida Shuffle"—a predatory cycle in the billion-dollar addiction treatment industry where vulnerable individuals are "brokered" between facilities for insurance payouts.

Benjamin shares his own journey of recovery and explains how his personal experience allowed him to gain unprecedented access to a community often silenced or exploited. This conversation explores the dark intersection of greed and healthcare, the resilience of the human spirit, and why the current treatment system desperately needs transparency.

Key Discussion Points

• Benjamin’s Recovery Journey: How a moment of clarity at age 41 led Benjamin from "professional alcoholism" to a transformative experience in treatment.
• The Origins of Shuffle: A chance conversation in an AA meeting revealed a disturbing trend: recovery call centers becoming a primary source of employment for those in early sobriety.
• What is the "Florida Shuffle"? Benjamin explains how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) unintentionally created a loophole where "patient brokers" poach insured individuals, profiting from their relapses.
• The Statistic that Shocks: There are currently more private substance abuse treatment centers in the U.S. than there are McDonald's restaurants.
• Witnessing the Cycle: The emotional weight of filming Corey and Nicole—two individuals caught in the cycle of being "bought and sold" by treatment facilities.
• The "Driveway Recordings": Why Benjamin chose to use raw, iPhone voice memos for the film's narration to maintain emotional authenticity.
• Maintaining Hope: Despite the systemic corruption, the film highlights the incredible resilience of those in recovery and the fact that healing is still possible.

Notable Quotes

"Stopping a substance is the entry card for admission. That’s not the whole thing. There’s a lot of work to do, and none of us know that until we find it out in our own way." — Benjamin Flaherty

"We’ve now made relapse profitable. We’ve incentivized the struggle by providing substandard care because an insurance card is like a blank check." — Benjamin Flaherty

"I approached my time with Corey not as a filmmaker first, but as a person in recovery. I had to witness it to make it impossible to ignore." — Benjamin Flaherty

Resources Mentioned

• The Documentary: Shuffle (also referred to as Stop the Shuffle)
• Website: stoptheshuffle.com — Find theater locations, tickets, and upcoming streaming info.
• Social Media: Follow the movement on Instagram @StopTheShuffle.

Episode Credits

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