State PHPs have been gradually taken over by the Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP). The FSPHP is an arm the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), the self-proclaimed "voice of addiction medicine." A "self-designated" medical specialty, American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) "board certification" is not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Through a torrent of propaganda and misinformation, however, combined with strategic and successful lobbying efforts they have gained tremendous sway in the field of addiction medicine. Advancing the 12-step rehab drug testing agenda they have modified and monopolized the field.
Many consider the ASAM and FSPHP to be corporate front groups, organizations whose agendas match those of corporate interests but who claim no formal relationship. In this case the agenda is 12-step rehabilitation industry and the drug testing industry. Over the past 10 years the ASAM has grown to over 3000 physicians. Within this group there is a subset of recovery fundamentalists who have populated the PHPs. Many have also become medical directors of the rehabilitation facilities to which they refer. By removing dissenting physician who do not agree with the groupthink they have successfully taken over the State PHP system. The evidentiary standard is low. They encourage confidential referral from colleagues and provide immunity to those who refer. If the PHP believes a physician "could benefit" from their services there is no choice.
There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that the marked suicide rate in physicians is because of this. The propaganda and misinformation is based on a study that is misleading and full of methodological flaws.
They also recommend the relationship of PHP's between the evaluation and treatment centers and licensing boards be transparent and that national organizations review PHP practices and recommend national standards "that can be debated by all physicians, not just those who work within PHPs."
In addition it is a "rigged game" as the ASAM makes the public policy and the FSPHP enforces it. Furthermore the FSPHP mandates that physicians be evaluated at a "PHP-approved" facility. All of the medical directors of these facilities (which number around 20) are ASAM physicians "in recovery." It is essentially self-referral.
click hereA State Audit was recently done in North Carolina that found no oversight or or regulation of the State PHP from either the Medical Board or the state Medical Society. In addition they found lack of due process for physicians and exposed the conflicts of interest between the PHP and the out of state treatment programs. They concluded abuse could occur but not be detected due to this scaffold.
click hereThe same infrastructure exists in Massachusetts. There is absolutely no oversight from the medical board or the medical society. PHS, inc. has been given cart blanche power in the assessment, treatment, monitoring, and disposition of all physicians referred to them.
The previous Medical Director of the Massachusetts PHP, Physicians Health Services, Inc. (PHS) for fourteen years, Dr. Luis Sanchez, is also a past President of the FSPHP although PHS did not enter into formal partnership with the FSPHP until 2013. The Director of Program Operations at PHS, Linda R. Bresnahan, MS, is the current Secretary of the FSPHP.
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There is documentary evidence that PHS, inc. is colluding with third parties (labs and treatment centers) to misrepresent test results and diagnoses in conspiracy to commit fraud. Documentation shows purposeful and intentional act to commit "confirmatory distortion" which is the deliberate misinterpretation or misrepresentation of facts to support a predetermined hypothesis.
Knight and Boyd note in "Ethical and Managerial Considerations Regarding State Physician Health Programs" "To further complicate matters, many evaluation/ treatment centers depend on state PHP referrals for their financial viability. Because of this, if, in its referral of a physician, the PHP highlights a physician as particularly problematic, the evaluation center might--whether consciously or otherwise-- tailor its diagnoses and recommendations in a way that will support the PHP's impression of that physician. To consciously "tailor" a diagnosis or recommendation based on the PHPs impression of a physician is fraud.
Documentary evidence incontrovertibly and indefensibly shows how PHS, inc. is engaging in fraud by colluding with a "PHP-approved" assessment center to fabricate and falsify a neuropsychological test to show "denial" and "relapse" with normal objective raw data being interpreted as abnormal. (again verified by a third-party oversight agency which resulted in the colluding party being forced to correct the results under threat of disciplinary action). But without any regulation or meaningful oversight of PHS and no appeal process or avenue for the reporting or investigation for the physician, PHS has been able to get away with this misconduct with impunity and immunity. Complaints are either ignored, dismissed, or justified by sympathizers, apologists, and a great deal of "willful ignorance."
For these reasons I petition Suzanne Bump to initiate a performance audit on PHS, inc. to detect fraud and abuse. There is currently no meaningful way to report, investigate, and hold accountable abuse of power in PHS, inc. Transparency, oversight, regulation, and accountability are essential. The Physicians of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts deserve better than this.
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