Contractor for clinician-focused addiction recovery program sued over ‘punishingly expensive’ practices

A private, publicly traded government contractor is being sued by a group of Montana nurses, and one doctor, who allege it runs an addiction recovery monitoring program that is “punitive, invasive and punishingly expensive, all to the detriment of its participants.”

Maximus, the defendant in the case, is based in Virginia, but operates government initiatives all over the U.S. and Canada. These include health and community benefit services, typically those funded by Medicaid or other government grants—and in this case, it manages state-mandated professional monitoring for clinicians with past substance abuse issues. 

The lawsuit was filed by one doctor and 10 nurses from around the state, all of whom are participants. According to the plaintiffs, Maximus has subjected them all to “punitive, expensive and clinically unwarranted monitoring practices,” in addition to keeping them “in the program for indefinite periods without clinically justified extensions of monitoring.” 

The complaint goes on to allege that the for-profit group, while operating as a state contractor, would arbitrarily mark the clinicians as noncompliant, prolonging their participation unnecessarily. This would also allegedly result in fees and fines being levied, in accordance with the rules of the program. 

Broadly speaking, the clinicians allege that the rules are unclear and expensive, with a single drug test costing $300—a cost the doctor and nurses are forced to pay. Additionally, Maximus is accused of having tests ordered without clinical need, which all carried a cost. 

The plaintiffs claim the company may financially benefit from the associated fines and inflated price tag of tests. Their lawsuit, filed Tuesday, is done so on behalf of anyone with similar grievances with its business practices. 

As noted in a report from the Montana Free Press covering the dispute, all doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and others enrolled with these state recovery programs are subjected to monitoring, in this case conducted by Maximus at the behest of licensing boards. 

In August, an audit by the Montana legislature found there were lower levels of satisfaction associated with Maximus than previous servicers, with multiple participants reporting that the framework established by the company was punitive rather than supportive.

Maximus has yet to file a response to the lawsuit, which was filed in a U.S. district court, given the recency. 

For more, read the full coverage from the Montana Free Press at the link below.