Legal Practices

Many states and the federal government are writing stringent “anti-kickback” laws and statutes to combat insurance fraud. To ensure that Best Choice Admissions Services LLC (BCAS) are in alignment with current laws, Best Choice Admissions Services LLC adheres to the following standards and practices:

1. WE COMMUNICATE A VARIETY OF OPTIONS, NOT REFERRALS:  We will not attempt to steer an individual to any particular facility or program through our standard questions or other means. We will list various institutions we represent and provide basic information about one or more institution that might be a good fit for the family.  We will not ask the inquirer to choose any particular one.  It is up to the individual family to choose which one(s) would be the best for them and their situation;

2. WE CANNOT AND WILL NOT ASSESS THE POTENTIAL STUDENT’S  MENTAL, BEHAVIORAL, OR EDUCATIONAL STATUS:  We will not provide, nor will we represent ourselves as providing diagnostic, legal, or psychological services. We will not provide assessments of the academic, mental, psychological, or medical status or well-being of potential residents/students, nor will we make any promises or guarantees of cure or remedy of such issues by any particular organization.  We cannot assess whether a potential resident may be suicidal or prone to self-harm, nor guarantee that they will not harm others or the facility of the institution they choose to enroll in.  Further, we will not guarantee that the institution will not bring harm or perceived harm to the student.  Assessments of a student’s fit at a school or program are the responsibility of the institution, the parents, and the licensed professionals they may hire. All final decisions regarding enrollment should be evaluated and referred by a licensed professional hired by the parent, not us;

3. WE CANNOT ARRANGE TRANSPORT:  We cannot directly arrange for transportation of a child to or from the location of a health care provider or health care facility. Some regulators see this as an unfair ability to force placement into one particular institution, so this is not something we will participate in. When asked, we may mention options of various transport services that we have worked with in the past that seem to have done an excellent job, but we have no affiliation with such services nor are paid by them;

4. WE ARE PAID A FLAT FEE BY INSTITUTIONS:  The fee paid to us by the schools and programs we represent is set in advance and will not increase based on the tuition or the number of services that the institution may offer any student/resident. We hold an outsourced and contracted sales position for the institutions we represent.  Such contracted fees are consistent with the fair market value of such services.  Fees are not based on or increased based on the amount charged for the resulting services of the institution. We do not accept added incentives, gifts, or kickbacks from any institution for pushing up costs or services or for choosing to promote one institution over another;

5. WE ARE A COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANCE TO THE INSTITUTION, NOT AN EMPLOYEE NOR AGENT OF IT:  We work with all institutions to assist their intake or admission department, not as a placement agent. We are only paid a flat fee if we assist with the enrollment of a student in the institution.  Our services never include added incentives or kickbacks designed to drive up costs for the parent, nor to increase the resulting fees required to care for the student;

6. NO OWNERSHIP, GIFTS, OR REDUCED-FEE SERVICES:  We hold no ownership interest in any of the institutions we work with, nor do any of our immediate relatives or other companies that we may be associated with hold ownership positions.  We cannot accept gifts or reduced-fee services from the institutions we are contracted with in exchange for promoting them.  BCAS and its individuals and sub-contractors receive no compensation other than the one flat fee paid by the institution per resident we help enroll there, as already identified above.

7. “NO WARRANTY” LEGAL NOTICE: BCAS does not guarantee recovery or even positive outcomes for any particular individual who attends any program or school we might offer as an option. Recovery and future avoidance of troubling behavior or actions and whatever effects that may have on the individual’s life, future, career, mental or physical health, or their friends and relatives are entirely dependent on each individual student and how they accept and apply the principles the program teaches them, school or its staff or therapists.


Here’s How We Work With Institutions and Schools

HOW WE SELECT PROGRAMS TO REPRESENT
We connect with an ever-widening range of programs and schools that we select based on the breadth of their program, longevity, location, reviews, facility, and the expertise of their personnel.  Though we do not know everything that transpires at the programs and schools we represent, those who fail to keep the students safe or keep up their service level are removed from our list.  Parents must understand that we have no control over the program or school.

HOW ARE WE REMUNERATED FOR OUR SERVICES
We receive a flat fee (regardless of the cost of the school/program or the services provided) for any enrollment resulting from our communciations assistance. We are never paid other kickbacks, nor are we paid according to the level of the services rendered by the institution to the individual.

HOW WE SELECT WHICH INSTITUTIONS TO OFFER AS GOOD OPTIONS
We have a great deal of experience in the therapeutic boarding school and program field and have worked for decades in this industry; however, we are not licensed educational consultants or psychologists. We never “refer” an individual to any specific program, like a licensed professional would do. Instead, we offer to the individual a list of several options that we deem are the best out of the many organizations that we represent. Those options are generally based on the family’s financial ability and the type of services that may be required for the child. We recommend that the parent seek licensed medical, psychological, or educational help to determine which school or program to select.

BEST CHOICE HAS A FLAT FEE ARRANGEMENT WITH HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS
The admissions department of schools and programs is pretty busy, so they prefer to have individuals somewhat vetted before meeting with the admissions director.  Best Choice is their contracted vetting tool.  We connect individuals with what we think are the appropriate programs and schools (based on our many years of experience working in such programs and schools).  If a student is enrolled, we receive a flat fee from that institution, which is the same for all institutions we work with, from low-cost to the most expensive.  We receive no larger payment from more expensive institutions, so we are not incentivized to push these higher-cost options.  Our only concern is to help you find the right program or school for your child.

WHAT WOULD CAUSE US NOT TO REPRESENT A PROGRAM OR TO HELP ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO CONTACTS US?
We work with individuals regardless of their ethnicity, gender, or beliefs.  The only individuals we may be unable to help are those with limited funds to place their child in a program or school, or if any or all of the institutions we represent decline to accept the child, which is at their discretion. We represent institutions as long as we are assured they are doing a good job, but we cannot know everything that is happening there.  Since we have no control over what they do or how they operate, they and the person seeking our assistance indemnify us from any liability and from all harm coming from the enrollment of a student there.  We are simply an information resource.  We will not, and cannot, guarantee safety, non-discrimination, nor any specific behavioral or emotional outcome for the student.

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Legal Disclaimer

NON-REFERRAL/NON-EXPERT DISCLAIMER: Options expressed by Best Choice Admissions Services LLC ("BCAS") and its representatives are not professional referrals nor expert recommendations of a medical, behavioral health, or educational professional. BCAS is not licensed or bonded to provide medical, psychological, or educational advice or recommendations, so we don't. You should consider seeking advice from a licensed professional before making any decision in relation to the placement of any child in a residential program. BCAS assists the admissions departments of schools as a communications contractor, from which it also receives compensation for its work. BCAS is indemnified by each organization and has no control over the actions of such organizations or their staff. BCAS is rarely on-campus of each program, so we do not know everything about what goes on, nor should we be held responsible for such information. By Federal law, we are required to mention that we select programs to represent solely based upon their desire for our assistance, and they pay us a flat fee based on each student placed. We receive no kickbacks for the amount of services the student requires, nor their length of stay in the school or program. Of the schools and programs we mention as options, we do not select them or push any particular ones based on their ability to pay us a higher amount than do other schools or programs. For some low-income individuals, we may mention schools that pay us nothing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) caution that before you enroll a youngster in a private residential treatment program or any institution or service that we mention, be sure to check it out yourself: ask questions; ask for proof or support for claims about staff credentials, program licensing or accreditation, and endorsements; do a site visit; and get all policies and promises in writing.

“NO WARRANTY” LEGAL NOTICE: BCAS does not guarantee recovery or even positive outcomes for any particular individual who attends any program or school we might offer as an option. Recovery and future avoidance of troubling behavior or actions and whatever effects that may have on the individual’s life, their future, their career, their mental or physical health, or their friends and relatives are entirely dependent on each individual student and how they accept and apply the principles they are taught by the program, school or its staff or therapists.