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 (BCAS) are in alignment with current laws, Best Choice Admissions Services adheres to the following standards and practices:

1. WE PROVIDE 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 the institution.  We will not ask the inquirer to choose any particular one.  It is up to the individual to choose which one(s) would be the best for them and their situation;

2. WE CANNOT ASSESS THE INDIVIDUAL’S MENTAL 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 offer 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 ONE FLAT FEE FOR ALL INSTITUTIONS, SET IN ADVANCE:  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. BCAS IS A CONTRACTED EXTENSION OF THE INSTITUTION:  Under an Agent Agreement, we work with all institutions as an extension of their intake or admission department, not as an outside broker. We are only paid a flat fee if we add an enrollment for the institution.  This payment is for performance, similar to what an in-house salesperson would receive as an incentive for making a “sale.”  Our contracted services never include added incentives or kickbacks designed to drive up costs or to increase the resulting fees paid to care for the resident;

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.

8.  WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT OREGON?  Some states are passing liberal laws that make it nearly impossible for teenagers to receive residential treatment outside of the state (or in the state, for that matter). One such state is Oregon. Due to their aggressive anti-therapy and anti-referral laws for troubled adolescents, we cannot help students from families who reside in Oregon.  To help such a family, they would first need to change their residency to another state.

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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 are a contracted agent of many institutions that allow us to represent them. We receive a flat fee (regardless of the cost of the school/program or the services provided) for any enrollment resulting from our 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. 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 based on the family’s financial ability and the level 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 no funds or ability to place a loved one 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 and the students are appropriately cared for. However, since we cannot know everything that goes on at the institution, nor do we have any control over what they do or how they operate, they and the person seeking our assistance indemnify us from any liability.  We are simply an information source.  We will not, and cannot, guarantee any specific outcome for the student or their safety.