Claire Hughes reports at the Albany Times Union that New York's Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services is ending "patient brokering." That means that brokers will no longer get kickbacks from treatment providers for referring clients. Stephanie Campbell, executive director of the advocacy group Friends of Recovery-New York, said so-called “patient brokering” preys upon people who are vulnerable and seeking treatment. The office also announced that it is now requiring insurers to allow appeals when coverage for addiction medications are denied because the drugs were not on an approved list, and also directing insurers to speed up medical necessity reviews for opioid treatment. Read the full story at the Albany Times Union.