Usacomplaints.com » Health & Medicine » Complaint / Review: Narconon Southern California - A complete rip-off for drug treatment. #257550

Complaint / Review
Narconon Southern California
A complete rip-off for drug treatment

We letting all of you know that we have officially filed a complaint against Narconon Southern California located at 1810 West Oceanfront, Newport Beach, CA 92663, where we admitted our son in May.

We believe we are victims of possible fraud where promises were made about insurance reimbursement both verbally and in writing. We believe we have been lied to and what has occurred since May is the definite stalling of repayment since our sons admittance to this facility. We have since found that this program may not even be accredited for reimbursement through Blue Cross/Blue Shield when we were told it was. We have since found through our own investigations that there are other similar complaints against this program (a New Mexico Case, FRED & PHYLLIS LUTHY vs NARCONON STONEHAWK REHABILITATION CENTER, INC., which is located in Michigan) that claims the same injustice and is nearing settlement. The luthys complaint is a verified complaint for fraud in the inducement, unfair or deceptive trade practices, breach of contract and unjust enrichment. If you would like to see this case that is similar to what we are experiencing, please go to

Our sons admittance to this center only lasted 31 days. After our son left the facility we checked with Narconon Newport Beach on August 8 (Carrie in billing) to see if the claim had been sent as of yet. We hadnt heard anything and thought a great deal of time had gone by. At that time we got the excuse from Carrie that were about 3 months behind in our billing and check back in about a week. We found that unacceptable, especially in light of the fact that Narconon sends you a packet of information prior to admittance that clearly states that the filing of insurance reimbursement occurs within 30 days. We expressed our distaste for this and said we would call her back. We called back on August 17th, giving her over a week and the claim still had not been done. At that time she indicated that she never told us one week. We called back again several times and all calls were ignored. We kept being asked whos calling when we called the center. We called again on August 23rd and Carrie told us she happened to do it that day and she was behind because of so many admittances over the past 3 months. She told us the system would flag the claim and to check back in about 10 days to see what the insurance said. I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING BACK FROM THEM.

On September 7 we called back to speak to the program administrator, Bob Markham (he admitted our son and was the one who told us when we wrote our check that day that we would receive money from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, he had dealt with them before) and found out that he was no longer there. We were referred to the new program director Ian. We had a pleasant conversation with him, he pulled our sons file and said he would leave it for his new insurance biller who was due to start only days later and would put it on top of her files, WE were top priority. He claimed the last insurance gal would not be handling billing any longer. Ian would get back to us after his new gal looked at the file. Well no call.

On September 17 we called and left a message for Ian, no returned call. On September 24 we made another call and left a message for Ian, no returned call. On October 8 we called for Ian again and finally got him. He would leave a message for Gayle in billing to call us. No call.

On October 16 we called again and spoke with Gayle in billing. We told her we were definitely losing our patience. During this call we were told by Gayle that the claim that was made back in August had been denied by Blue Cross/Blue Shield and that denial was made on September 8. We were never notified! Gayle would re-submit the claims, evidently some codes were not done right on the original claim and I asked to see those denials. I got them faxed to me at my request. On October 17 I got a call from Gayle saying that the claims had been re-submitted that day and we should hear within 10-12 days. At this point we decided if we didnt hear anything back we would seek further action and that we would possibly have to obtain an attorney and we would be contacting the authorities. Gayle has since called again on November 20 to state that they still do not have answer back from insurance. Now this is 4 weeks after the claim was filed an additional time!!! We are now 6 months later!

To this date we do not have an answer from Narconon, nor have we ever received an insurance notification that a claim has even been made from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. We cant believe what is still going on 6 months later when we were told and in their packet they state that a claim will be filed within 30 days.

We are not only angry about this insurance claim and the possibility of fraud, but also the treatment at their Warner Springs Facility. When we admitted our son in May to the Newport Beach Facility we NEVER knew and were extremely disappointed to find out that we had put our son into a center backed by Scientology. This does not appear on their websites (and there are many, one being addictionca.com) they do not speak of it during their hard sell over the phone and it constantly creeps into the treatment of the addict as they stay longer at the facilities. We first heard of it only days into his treatment and heard about it almost every single time we were on the phone with him.

After about 4 days and our insistence, we asked that our son be transferred to the Warner Springs facility from Newport Beach. We were told that they didnt have a bed for him there and it couldnt be done. We were concerned because the facility in Newport Beach was on the beach boardwalk and our son had already been approached to purchase and do drugs. He was just out of detox and was only there 3 days! When we were told they didnt have a bed (and days earlier when we admitted him they said it would not be a problem for him to be transferred there as soon as he was out of detox) we kicked and screamed and miraculously they had a bed for him the next day.

At the Narconon facilities there was no counseling available by professional licensed staff and their constant badgering methods to get the truth about other students by constantly questioning the addicts about each others behavior is not even a part of our sons drug recovery and something we didnt pay for and not mentioned in the curriculum. They actually try to brain wash the addicts that are there into their type of thinking and they are promote "bullbaiting" as soon as the addict is detoxed and bullbaiting can simply be described as saying horrible things to the person on the other side of you and if they flinch during this they receive some sort of discipline. So in other words you can call the person a "fat pig", "you're a piece of shit", "you're a no good crack head" and also yell at walls. This is straight from Scientology and is known as TRs or Training Routines. Our son was also required to read books and ask over and over again "do birds fly?" After a short while our son was actually THREATNED (and on several occasions) while at the Warner Springs facility that if he did not speak the truth and tell them what another student/addict did then he would have to start over in the sauna program, which in their words would be such a shame since you are so close to completion. Our son had been in the Sauna part of the program which is 180 degrees (dry sauna) for 5 hours a day (7 days a week), for approx 4 weeks already and he would have to go back in. Now that is abuse! And who was the God like person at the facility to actually administer that type of physical punishment! Certainly not a doctor. He was additionally threatened with ethics by so called "ethics officers" (former graduates and addicts themselves) which entails going into the Llama area/pit to clean up their droppings, clean the kitchen, bathrooms, and such if he didnt tell who slept with who, who defamed the place, who called the founder an ass hole... Which would put him back in the program as well.

This was our sons final straw to leaving the facility after only 31 days. We couldnt make him stay (after several attempts) and take inhumane treatment. We wanted him there for his drug recovery. They accused him of starting a gang while there, and just constantly badgered him for one thing after the other. The staff at Narconon (which are former addicts and not professional licensed experts) was more interested in interrogation and finding out who did what, rather than treating his illness. His living conditions were deplorable (we saw them) and we couldnt believe that the Health Department even let this facility EVER pass inspection. Since his departure from the Warner Springs facility he has had serious bowel problems that were brought on while at the facility by the CalMag mixture of vitamins given to calm oneself. This mixture contains calcium, magnesium and is also given with niacin.

We paid $29,000.00 in cash the day we admitted our son in May and felt that this investment could possibly save his life as well as get him on the right path to recovery. We were desperate to get him into treatment and felt we did our homework before we admitted him and we were confident in our decision after speaking to other facilities mainly because of their "guarantee." They were the only ones to offer it!

Narconon has been the worst experience of our lives to date, to include our son and the fact that he was able to sustain 31 days in there is absolutely an amazing feat. Let alone what we have been going through since May of this year, we still dont have closure.

Last but not least the saga continues. We recently believed our son had a relapse and included in our package (and one of the main reasons we picked this center) was the guarantee that he could come back within 6 months if he relapsed. We called the Warner Springs facility in October (4 months after he left) and spoke to Amy who said we dont think we want him back which we found ironic in light of the fact that who did she think she was to make that kind of decision. Again, another former addict, with no rights to these type of decisions. I was so angry with this reaction in light of EVERYTHING that we have been through with this facility up to date, that my husband had to speak to her. Again she accused him of something she heard he had done since he was out, which was hearsay and none of her business since he was not under their care!!!

The Narconon system is about controlling and altering the mind of the addict. They do it through Scientology and their own set of discipline which does not belong in a drug treatment facility. They are more interested in gossip, bullbaiting, and ethics than the treatment of the addict and this seems to be the common thread in any complaint I have researched to date.

We are fed up with the insurance part of this process and we truly believe that we have been MIS-REPRESENTED and may be victim of fraud not only with the insurance but with the treatment and representation of the facility as well. We are requesting a FULL re-imbursement of our $29,000.00 and will seek any legal action possible to obtain it.

Shelly
San Diego, California
U.S.A.


Offender: Narconon Southern California

Country: USA   State: California   City: Newport Beach
Address: 1810 West Ocean Front
Phone: 8008766378

Category: Health & Medicine

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