Rehab referral services

The short answer

Most rehab referral services and "free" helplines are paid by the treatment centers they recommend, usually as a commission or fee when someone is admitted. That doesn't make their advice wrong, but it can shape which centers you hear about, so ask every adviser who pays them before you take their recommendation.

How do rehab referral services make money?

Referral services, placement consultants and helplines usually charge the client nothing. Their income comes from the other side: a commission or fee from the center when a client is admitted, a fee per call or enquiry passed on, or advertising paid by centers.

Some helplines and "directories" are run by a treatment provider and send callers to its own centers.^[4] UK regulators have found referral companies presenting themselves as direct providers or neutral advisers while earning commission.^[2]

Does it matter who pays the adviser?

It can. An adviser paid by some centers and not others has a reason to steer you towards the ones that pay, and centers that refuse to pay commission may never be mentioned.

The same concern runs through medical travel generally. An industry publication on medical tourism has questioned the commissions that hospitals pay to agents and facilitators, warning that kickbacks can lead to over-treatment.^[5]

Price is the other question. Referral companies often say clients pay the same as booking direct. At least one center in Thailand says on its website that some Thai rehabs pay for referrals and that referral fees push prices up for clients.^[6] We could not verify either claim, so ask a center what it charges if you contact it directly.

What have regulators found?

In the UK, rehab referral companies must now state prominently that they are principally a referral service, with active monitoring from 21 September 2026.^[1]

• UK, December 2024. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld complaints against six referral companies. Problems included hiding commission, implying they ran clinics or gave impartial advice, misusing regulators' logos, and overstating access to local services.^[2]
• UK, 2026. An enforcement notice tells referral companies to say on their homepage that they don't provide treatment at clinics they own, but mainly refer people on. The ASA says it will use automated monitoring, and sanctions can include naming non-compliant advertisers and referral to other regulators.^[1]
• US, since 2018. The Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act makes it a federal crime to pay or receive money for referrals to recovery homes, clinical treatment facilities and laboratories, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a US$200,000 fine per offence.^[3]
• US, June 2025. The Federal Trade Commission sued a group of marketers and treatment providers, alleging that search ads using real clinics' names routed callers to a call center that steered them to the defendants' own facilities.^[4] These are allegations, not court findings.

How do referrals work for rehab in Thailand?

We found no published commission rates for centers in Thailand and no clear published rule on referral fees there. What we can say is that referral businesses for Thai rehabs exist, at least one discloses that it receives fees from centers when clients enrol, and at least one center says some Thai rehabs pay for referrals.^[6][8]

Whatever an adviser tells you, the checks that protect you are the same: a facility licence you can look up, a doctor responsible for withdrawal, a hospital plan, and a written price. Our safety checklist shows how to check these yourself, and the Price Index shows what centers charge.

Which sales tactics should you watch for?

The UK rulings describe practices worth knowing about wherever you are:^[2]

• "Impartial" advice from a paid referrer. A service that calls itself independent or free without saying centers pay it.
• Borrowed authority. Regulators' logos or titles like "specialist" used in ways that suggest an official approval the business doesn't have.
• Sounding like a provider. Wording that implies the service runs the clinics it describes, or has local centers it can't actually arrange.
• Urgency. Suggestions that a bed is available immediately, used to rush a decision.

Any of these is a reason to slow down and check the center yourself, not necessarily a reason to refuse help.

What does independent advice look like?

A good starting point is someone with no financial stake in where you go: your own doctor, a local public drug and alcohol service, or a counsellor you already see. They can assess what level of care you need, which is the question to answer before choosing any center.

If a professional refers you to a center abroad, it is fair to ask whether they receive anything for it. Most will simply say no; a clear answer either way is what you want.

Independent guides can help you compare, but they should show their working: where prices come from, how centers were chosen, and how the site is funded. If a guide only lists some centers, ask why the others are missing.

Questions to ask any adviser or helpline

1. Who pays you, and how much? Ask whether it is a fixed fee, a percentage or a payment per call.
2. Which centers do you work with, and which don't you? Ask why a center you have heard of isn't on their list.
3. Do you own or manage any of the centers you recommend?
4. Will the price be the same if I contact the center directly? Then ask the center the same question.
5. What clinical qualifications do you have? An assessment should come from a doctor or licensed clinician, not a sales adviser.
6. Can you put all of this in writing? A trustworthy adviser will.

How is this site funded?

We currently accept no payments from treatment centers: no advertising, referral fees, commissions or paid placements. We don't take bookings or pass your details to centers. If that ever changes, we will say so on our advertising disclosure page first.^[7]