California’s Largest Nursing Home Chain Hit With a Flurry of Citations

California’s largest nursing home chain has come under fire from government regulators, facing a flurry of citations and penalties. Brius Healthcare Services has 81 facilities stretching from San Diego to Roseville to Eureka. In the past year, some of the facilities have become the target of police scrutiny, lawsuits, stiff regulatory fines, and state and federal investigations that have uncovered numerous alleged violations, the Sacramento Bee reported Sunday. Between October and January, three of Brius’ facilities were decertified by the federal government, which yanked its Medicare and Medi-Cal funding, an economic kiss of death that is extremely rare. In comparison, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has, since 2010, decertified only six out of more than 1,200 nursing homes in California. Brius’ owner Shlomo Rechnitz, 43, said the government began singling out his company after a legal dispute with the state over delinquent paperwork. “All of a sudden, we show up to court one day and there is an emergency motion that refers to us as a quote-unquote serial violator of laws. It questions if we would pass the good character requirement. It basically makes us look like the Charles Manson of the nursing home business.” The state denies it has singled Rechnitz out or has any ulterior motives.

Source/more: Associated Press

David Wingate is an elder law attorney who practices in Frederick and Montgomery Counties, Maryland. The elder law practice consists of wills, powers of attorneys, living wills, trusts, asset protection and Medicaid (Medical Assistance).