Katie Thomas

Sick Detainees Describe Poor Care at Facilities Run by ICE Contractor

Business is booming for CoreCivic, a for-profit operator of detention facilties. The company has secured hundred of millions of dollars in contracts, those detained there say that $$$ doesnt translate into care.

Our story. @bykatiethomas.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/b...

Sick Detainees Describe Poor Care at Facilities Run by ICE Contractor

We’re looking to speak to medical providers who have worked in ICE facilities. If this is you or someone you know, please reach out. There’s a survey at the end of the story. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/b...

Detainees and their lawyers told us about long waits to see a nurse, and delays in getting medicine or being taken to the hospital in emergencies (CoreCivic disputes this and says it provides quality care).

Sick Detainees Describe Poor Care at Facilities Run by ICE Contractor

A for-profit company, CoreCivic, operates many ICE detention centers, including the one in Texas that houses children. It has a checkered track record of providing medical care. With @jsgatnyt.bsky.social and Melena Ryzik. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/b...

A screenshot of the story from the website of The New York Times exposing how Extremity Care used millions of dollars in donations to pro-Trump PACs, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbying fees to a Trump-linked firm, to gain access to lobby the president to maintain high Medicare reimbursement rates for the company's "skin substitute" products.

A screenshot of the Truth Social post in which Trump posted the flier -- provided by Extremity Care's co-owner -- opposing the Medicare reimbursement change that could have limited payments for the company's "skin substitute" products.

NEW: A biotech company donated $5M to attend a March 1 dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

The company's co-owner brought a flier opposing a pending change limiting Medicare $ for his products.

The next day, Trump posted the flier on Truth Social.

The next month, the Medicare change was tabled.

Here's a gift link to the story (by Sarah Kliff, @bykatiethomas.bsky.social & me) showing a real world effect of Trump's pay-for-access operation.

In this case, it benefited companies making a product that helps patients, but also that Medicare has dinged for “abusive pricing practices.”

Suicides and Rape at a Prized Mental Health Center Timberline Knolls, a mental health center owned by Acadia Healthcare, skimped on staff. Then came a series of tragedies.

Read our previous stories about Acadia’s practices here:

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/b...

www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/h...

www.nytimes.com/2024/09/01/b...

Leaders of Mental Health Giant Promised Big Bonuses to Deal With Federal Investigations (Gift Article) Acadia Healthcare’s chief executive was awarded a $1.8 million bonus to respond to “unprecedented governmental inquiries” into allegations of holding psychiatric patients against their will.

Acadia Healthcare’s CEO is getting a $1.8 million bonus for the extra work he will need to do to respond to federal inquiries into the company’s practices. The bonus comes after the stock lost 70 percent of its value. My story with @jsgatnyt.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/04/24/h...

How a Leading Chain of Psychiatric Hospitals Traps Patients Acadia Healthcare is holding people against their will to maximize insurance payouts, a Times investigation found.

This is our third investigation into practices at Acadia Healthcare, one of the country’s largest for-profit providers of mental health services.

Read our previous stories here: www.nytimes.com/2024/09/01/b...

and here: www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/h...

Suicides and Rape at a Prized Mental Health Center (Gift Article) Timberline Knolls, a mental health center owned by Acadia Healthcare, skimped on staff. Then came a series of tragedies.

Acadia disputed our findings, saying it did not tolerate behavior that could put people in danger. Illinois's substance abuse agency said it was “deeply concerned" and would be “conducting a review to assess whether additional measures could have been taken.” www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/b...

Suicides and Rape at a Prized Mental Health Center (Gift Article) Timberline Knolls, a mental health center owned by Acadia Healthcare, skimped on staff. Then came a series of tragedies.

Local police have not made an arrest in the alleged sexual assault and say the investigation is open. Authorities in Gary, Ind. -- where one of the women said she was taken -- began investigating after we asked questions. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/b...

Suicides and Rape at a Prized Mental Health Center Timberline Knolls, a mental health center owned by Acadia Healthcare, skimped on staff. Then came a series of tragedies.

We found that facilities like Timberline Knolls, which treated eating disorders, mental health issues and substance abuse, fell into a regulatory grey area. State regulators did not investigate the suicides, and a key agency hadn't visited the property since 2019. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/b...

Suicides and Rape at a Prized Mental Health Center Timberline Knolls, a mental health center owned by Acadia Healthcare, skimped on staff. Then came a series of tragedies.

But, as we reported, dangerous conditions persisted at the facility, which closed earlier this year. Last year, two women accused a health aide of raping them, and two other women died by suicide in 2023 and 2024. Police were called more than 500 times in 2023. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/b...

Suicides and Rape at a Prized Mental Health Center Timberline Knolls, a mental health center owned by Acadia Healthcare, skimped on staff. Then came a series of tragedies.

New with @jsgatnyt.bsky.social: In 2018, a therapist was accused of sexually assaulting women at Timberline Knolls, a mental health facility outside Chicago owned by Acadia Healthcare. Back then, the company said it had made changes to "assure it won't happen again."
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/b...

Suicides and Rape at a Prized Mental Health Center Timberline Knolls, a mental health center owned by Acadia Healthcare, skimped on staff. Then came a series of tragedies.

Suicides and Rape at a Prized Mental Health Center. Timberline Knolls, a mental health center owned by Acadia Healthcare, skimped on staff. Then came a series of tragedies, by @jsgatnyt.bsky.social @bykatiethomas.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/b... via @nytimes.com

Medicare Bleeds Billions on Pricey Bandages, and Doctors Get a Cut Medicare spending on “skin substitutes” made of dried placenta has soared as doctors pocket lucrative discounts from sellers.

Trump delayed a Biden-era plan to restrict Medicare’s coverage of skin substitutes, which cost $10 billion in 2024. Trump had received a large campaign donation from a leading bandage seller and skewered the plan on social media.

By Sarah Kliff and Katie Thomas

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/h...

If you want to understand the problem of "waste, fraud, and abuse" in federal health programs, you should read this great piece by Sarah Kliff and @bykatiethomas.bsky.social on scammy skin substitute companies. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/h...

Have you seen examples of health care fraud, waste or abuse? Tell us about it. New York Times reporters are looking into cases of unnecessary and wasteful spending in government health programs.

We're continuing to report on stories about health care fraud, waste and abuse. If you've seen examples, please tell us about them here: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/h...

Medicare Bleeds Billions on Pricey Bandages, and Doctors Get a Cut Medicare spending on “skin substitutes” made of dried placenta has soared as doctors pocket lucrative discounts from sellers.

The huge spending jump has led some experts to say this is a ripe target for the Trump administration. But President Trump received a large campaign donation from a leading bandage company, and has skewered on social media a Biden-era plan to restrict coverage. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/h...

Medicare Bleeds Billions on Pricey Bandages, and Doctors Get a Cut Medicare spending on “skin substitutes” made of dried placenta has soared as doctors pocket lucrative discounts from sellers.

Tiny bandages made of dried placentas are costing Medicare billions. With Sarah Kliff, I took a dive into the world of skin substitutes, which are used in a narrow slice of patients with wounds that won't heal, but cost Medicare more than ambulance rides and CT scans. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/h...

I'd like to hear from current and former employees at USDA-APHIS (esp PPQ & VS) and USDA-ARS. Happy to keep your identity confidential or even just talk off the record, if that's what you'd prefer.

You can reach me at emily.anthes@nytimes.com or on Signal at emilyanthes.41

Insulin Prices Dropped. But Some Poor Patients Are Paying More. (Gift Article) A law that coaxed companies to lower the price of drugs came with a little-known consequence: smaller discounts for low-income health clinics.

When drug companies lowered prices for common drugs like insulin, it ended up raising costs for patients at community health clinics. It’s another example of the upside-down world of drug pricing. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/h...

Endo’s End Around: How One of the Nation’s Largest Opioid Makers Escaped a $7 Billion Federal Penalty For a decade, the Justice Department delayed a winning criminal case against Philadelphia-based Endo Health Solutions. That allowed the company to vastly expand its narcotics empire and execute a corp...

For a decade, the DOJ delayed a winning criminal case against Philadelphia-based drug company Endo Health Solutions.

That allowed Endo to vastly expand its narcotics empire and execute a corporate escape plan.

New, from @propublica.org + @inquirer.com

Hospitals Gave Them Meds During Childbirth. Why Did Patients Get In Trouble? Mothers were reported after they were given medications used routinely for pain or in epidurals, to reduce anxiety or to manage blood pressure during cesarean sections.

Hospitals Gave Patients Meds During Childbirth, Then Reported Them For Positive Drug Tests

www.themarshallproject.org/2024/12/11/p...

Acadia Healthcare is 1 of America’s largest chains of psychiatric hospitals. In 12 states where they operate—dozens of patients, employees & cops have alerted the authorities that Acadia was detaining people in ways that violated the law according to 9/1/24 NYT. Now this:

Acadia Healthcare’s Methadone Clinics Face Fraud Complaints Acadia Healthcare falsifies records at its methadone clinics and enrolls patients who aren’t addicted to opioids, a Times investigation found.

Fraud and Fakery at the Largest Chain of Methadone Clinics in the U.S. Acadia Healthcare falsifies records at its methadone clinics and enrolls patients who aren’t addicted to #opioids, by @bykatiethomas.bsky.social @jsgatnyt.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/h... via @nytimes.com #addiction

Acadia Healthcare’s Methadone Clinics Face Fraud Complaints (Gift Article) Acadia Healthcare falsifies records at its methadone clinics and enrolls patients who aren’t addicted to opioids, a Times investigation found.

I joined this app just to share this incredible new investigation into the fraud and fakery going on at the country’s largest chain of methadone clinics: www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/h...
By the amazing @bykatiethomas.bsky.social and @jsgatnyt.bsky.social and edited by @davidenrich.bsky.social and me

How a Leading Chain of Psychiatric Hospitals Traps Patients (Gift Article) Acadia Healthcare is holding people against their will to maximize insurance payouts, a Times investigation found.

This story built on our reporting in September about how Acadia’s inpatient psychiatric hospitals were holding patients longer than necessary to maximize insurance payments. Read that story here. www.nytimes.com/2024/09/01/b...

Acadia has denied these claims and said only medical staff can decide who to enroll. It also said it provides robust counseling and that its policies prohibit false billing and record-keeping.

Acadia Healthcare’s Methadone Clinics Face Fraud Complaints (Gift Article) Acadia Healthcare falsifies records at its methadone clinics and enrolls patients who aren’t addicted to opioids, a Times investigation found.

Acadia’s business is built on volume, and at times this pressure led to enrolling patients who were dependent on cocaine or methamphetamine, but not opioids. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/h...