The Blackfeet Nation has declared a public health state of emergency for what it is calling a humanitarian crisis in Arizona.

The declaration was made for all Blackfeet Tribal members affected by shuttered fraudulent behavioral health treatment facilities in Arizona. Tribal leaders unanimously approved the order after learning several tribal members may have been victimized in a massive Medicaid fraud scheme.

As MTN News recently reported, the scheme is sophisticated and targets tribal members, taking them from reservations to the Phoenix area with a promise of addiction recovery and free housing. In reality, many are ending up on the streets, back under the influence with no way to get home.

According to Arizona state officials, the scam works like this:

*Fraudulent sober living homes lured thousands of Native Americans to the state, where they were provided free housing but no treatment
*Those fake providers then allegedly billed for services not provided - up to $1,300 per person per day, collecting millions in Medicaid payments from the state
*Arizona is now shutting fraudulent homes down, leaving tribal members homeless and often under the influence of drugs or alcohol in an unfamiliar city