Tell us – The Lexington Herald-Leader is inviting former and current clients and staff of Addiction Recovery Care in Kentucky to share their experiences for an upcoming series, as the outlet continues reporting on allegations tied to the provider’s Medicaid billing prac
In 2023, troubling stories began reaching reporters at the Lexington Herald-Leader from former clients and staff of Addiction Recovery Care, once Kentucky’s largest residential addiction treatment service provider.
Over the past three years. the paper has spoken with dozens of people who either passed through ARC’s doors or worked closely with those seeking help. Now. as the reporting continues. the outlet is asking for more direct accounts—especially from clients—about what treatment at ARC was like in practice.
The call comes as the Herald-Leader, working with ProPublica, prepares to follow up on an April story that detailed how ARC allegedly used staff to falsely bill Kentucky Medicaid for millions of dollars. ARC denies those allegations.
For the next phase of the investigation. the Herald-Leader says it wants to look closely at how ARC treated the people who came to the organization seeking sobriety. It is asking current and former clients. as well as staff who worked closely with clients to deliver care. to describe their experience.
People who were or are ARC clients or employees are being told they can either fill out a brief form or contact Lexington Herald-Leader reporter Alex Acquisto by email at [email protected]. The outlet says it takes privacy seriously and will reach out if it plans to publish any portion of a submitted story.
The reporting effort. the Herald-Leader adds. can take several weeks or months. and not everyone may be followed up with directly. But the paper says it will read everything submitted. with the goal of ensuring the investigation reflects the issues as clients and staff experienced them—alongside the company’s denial of the earlier Medicaid billing allegations.
Those earlier claims and ARC’s denial have already set the stakes for a closer look. The latest request makes clear where the next focus will land: not on paperwork alone, but on what people say they endured while searching for recovery.
Kentucky politics Lexington Herald-Leader Addiction Recovery Care ARC ProPublica Kentucky Medicaid addiction treatment investigative reporting sobriety recovery