Sweetwater Care affiliates were blocked from acquiring 11 Next Step Healthcare nursing homes in Massachusetts, according to a ruling by the state Department of Public Health. Affiliates of Carlsbad, California-based Sweetwater were found “unsuitable” to acquire the Massachusetts facilities by state officials.; Sweetwater can appeal the decision but isn’t allowed to obtain a license for […]
Category: Litigation
A wave of nursing home acquisitions by out-of-state chains has coincided with declining care quality in Massachusetts. The state’s post-pandemic nursing home market has allowed aggressive new owners like RegalCare to acquire facilities, reduce costs and redirect substantial sums to affiliated businesses while star ratings declined, according to the Boston Globe’s Spotlight nursing home investigation. […]
Massachusetts nursing home operator RegalCare Management Group and two of its executives have agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations that the company submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary rehabilitation therapy, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. RegalCare, owner Eliyahu Mirlis and executive Hector Caraballo admitted that, between 2018 and 2023, their […]
The new risk-based nursing-home survey process, set to begin September 8, could raise litigation concerns because the streamlined approach uses fewer survey activities and a smaller resident sample, potentially allowing problems relevant to civil liability cases to go undetected. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) surveys are also only a snapshot of a facility at a particular […]
There is a growing prevalence of so-called nuclear verdicts – jury awards ranging from around $1 million to $3 million for nursing homes. However, legal experts say these decisions also offer clear lessons for operational changes that providers can make to reduce risk. Juror anger is the leading factor driving outsized awards, according to Mollie Werwas, an attorney with Illinois-based Airdo […]
California-based nursing home operator Sweetwater Care Resource and its affiliates must pay $15 million after failing to adequately staff its nursing homes. About $12.5 million includes penalties and $2.5 million will go toward improving staffing and employing a compliance monitor for three years, according to a settlement filed by the state attorney general’s office. The […]
A federal appeals court upheld the convictions of two Pennsylvania nursing home operators accused of falsifying staffing records to secure Medicare and Medicaid funding, leaving intact more than $15 million in restitution and probation imposed by a lower court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Tuesday ruled that sufficient evidence supported […]
Bear Mountain Healthcare, a Connecticut-based nursing home operator, has agreed to pay $2.75 million to settle allegations that it chronically understaffed 11 Massachusetts skilled nursing facilities, resulting in neglect, resident harm and false claims submitted to the state’s Medicaid program. The settlement, announced Wednesday by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, follows an investigation covering the […]
The Ohio state legislature corrected millions in Medicaid underpayments this week, approving $875 million in quality incentive payments (QIPs) to be sent to nursing homes in the state. Legislation stipulates that nursing homes who accept the money waive future legal claims related to the disputed formula. The payout is coupled with a budget correction measure […]
The American Nurses Association and a group of other organizations have jointly filed suit against the Department of Education over its final rule excluding nursing from the “professional degree” designation. The American Nurses Association (ANA) and nine other nursing organizations filed the suit in response to a policy, starting July 1, excludes post-baccalaureate nursing degree […]
Alden Group, an Illinois-based nursing home operator, will face a proposed class-action lawsuit over alleged understaffing at its facilities after a county court ruled the case can proceed. The lawsuit, led by the AARP Foundation and supported by legal and disability-rights advocates, alleges that Alden facilities were chronically understaffed and sometimes operating at about half […]
Missouri lawmakers are considering legislation aimed at increasing accountability and transparency around resident abuse and neglect in nursing homes. The bill would increase penalties for such offenses and require facilities to carry at least $1 million in liability insurance. Republican State Senator Adam Schnelting, who sponsored the bill, said the measure would help families obtain […]
The sale of Genesis HealthCare’s 175 nursing homes to NewGen Health for $1 billion was finalized in court late Tuesday. NewGen is a California-based provider of skilled nursing and other long-term care, which bid under the name 101 West State Street at the new auction on January 13. A Genesis spokesperson told Skilled Nursing News […]
A lawsuit has been filed against the owners of two New Jersey-based nursing homes for reportedly participating in a multi-year scheme to misuse and conceal millions of dollars in Medicaid funds. The NJ Office of the State Comptroller accused New York-based owners Daryl Hagler and Kenneth Rozenberg, as well as family members and associates, of […]
Nursing homes are facing rising legal risk as plaintiffs are increasing their use of AI to analyze medical records and public data. The trend is making documentation gaps more visible and influencing which nursing home-related cases law firms choose to pursue. In 2026, skilled nursing providers will face key legal challenges tied to this shift, […]
Saber Healthcare Group now faces a lawsuit following two explosions and fire at Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Pennsylvania; the suit alleges negligence from Saber along with natural gas supplier, the Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO). Defendants failed to properly respond to reports of a gas leak and didn’t evacuate the facility despite gas odors […]
A court hearing regarding the sale of Genesis Healthcare properties continued today, with U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stacey Jernigan indicating she would not rule on the case until she holds another hearing on the matter. The hearing will likely be scheduled for Dec. 17, Elizabeth Green, partner at Baker Hostetler, told Skilled Nursing News. Jernigan wants […]
Multi-million dollar judgments have hit the long-scrutinized California nursing home chain owned by Shlomo Rechnitz, stemming from multiple lawsuits alleging patient harm, severe neglect and rights violations. Rechnitz’ companies deny all allegations, despite the judgments and more trials forthcoming. Recent jury awards include $2.34 million to 84-year-old Betsy Jenta, whose rights were found to be […]
President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned former Skyline Healthcare Owner Joseph Schwartz, who pleaded guilty to a $38 million tax fraud scheme. As of press time, the Office of the Pardon Attorney and Office of Public Affairs did not provide any specific reasons for the clemency, in response to an inquiry by Skilled Nursing News. […]
Ballad Health has filed a federal lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) and its insurance arm, UnitedHealthcare, over Medicare Advantage practices, including practices related to beneficiaries’ post-acute care access. Johnson City, Tennessee-based Ballad is a nonprofit health system that operates 19 hospitals in Tennessee and Virginia. The organization alleges that the United entities have “systematically […]
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