It’s no secret that America has an addiction problem on its hands, but Benjamin Flaherty’s SXSW-winning documentary “Shuffle” makes the case that it also has a rehab problem.
A look into the lives of three Florida residents who struggle to free themselves from a predatory system of for-profit recovery centers that benefit from their reliance on substances, the film depicts a depressingly familiar pattern of institutions failing the very individuals they exist to help. A former addict himself, Flaherty uses his own sobriety journey as a starting point to discuss the ways that corrupt facilities can play with patients’ lives as a means of scamming insurance companies, ultimately making the argument that true recovery can only be accomplished through a communal effort of people who genuinely care about each other.
Scenic views and lax regulations helped turn South Florida into the rehab capital of the world. Hundreds of facilities exist throughout the state, all advertising the opportunity to get sober while taking long walks on the beach and gazing at sunsets on your insurance company’s dime. But quantity does not equal quality, and “Shuffle” is quick to expose how little some of these facilities care about their patients. Because in the world of rehab — much like the world of prisons — the real money isn’t made by releasing healthy people back into society. The fastest path to profits is to keep people dependent on your expensive services.
Some of Flaherty’s subjects have lived in dozens of rehab facilities throughout their adult lives, often as part of an insurance scam that they didn’t realize they were in on until it was too late. Changes in American insurance policy as part of the Affordable Care Act significantly expanded the amount of rehab services that can be covered by health insurance. That led to certain shady facilities going out of their way to cold-call known addicts who have previously been in other facilities and offering them money to check in for a detox. Giving a patient a few thousand dollars in cash is a small price to pay for the opportunity to charge an insurance company nearly a million dollars for services they don’t really need. Oftentimes, the facilities don’t even bother to stop their residents from drinking or using drugs on the premises.
That would be bad enough as it is, but the real evil at the heart of “Shuffle” is the way that these facilities incentivize relapses. Different levels of rehab intensity cost different amounts of money, but nothing is more lucrative than the initial detox for a patient that is using. Flaherty’s subjects allege that these facilities release addicts into the streets after weeks of nonexistent treatments and hand them wads of cash as a participation fee, knowing full well where that money is likely to be spent. That only benefits the next facility that cold-calls the patient and brings them in for another detox, starting the vicious cycle all over again.
“Shuffle” is almost biblical in its depiction of the way that human nature can infiltrate even the most well-intended plans and turn them rotten overnight, as the grotesque situation it showcases is the final domino in a chain of actions that all seemed helpful. For decades, activists begged the government and the general public to view addiction as a disease, not a lifestyle choice — and therefore view the problem of solving it as a public health issue, not a criminal justice one. Two obvious remedies were the destigmatization of going to rehab and allowing people to use their medical insurance to pay for it. And those policies have probably benefitted thousands of people who aren’t shown in this particular film, but “Shuffle” is a reminder that there will always be bad actors waiting to cash in on a new loophole.
Clocking in at less than 85 minutes, “Shuffle” quickly makes its point, even if it leaves you wanting a bit more depth. A decent amount of anonymity is required, especially when Flaherty introduces an FBI informant that is part of a larger investigation of these predatory insurance rings, which sacrifices some character development for the greater good. But even if it occasionally makes you crave more narrative heft or elaboration about the facilities it discusses, the film is a vital work of public service that demonstrates why we can’t cure these social ills by simply throwing more money at them.
“Shuffle” is not an anti-rehab film, and devotes an admirable percentage of its short run time to praising the higher quality facilities that do help patients move on with their lives. And even amid its damning portrayal of human greed, it leaves viewers on a positive note by suggesting that lasting recovery is possible. Each individual’s path to sobriety might look different, but the common denominator is receiving help from people who are willing to do it for free.
Grade: B+
“Shuffle” premiered at SXSW 2025. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.
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