NY couple accused of $59.6M Medicaid fraud involving chain of Nebraska nursing homes

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

The Nebraska Attorney General's Office has accused a New York couple of carrying out a $59.6 million Medicaid fraud involving the ownership of a chain of nursing homes in Nebraska.

In the complaint filed in Lancaster County District Court, Joseph Schwartz, Rosie Schwartz and Skyline Healthcare LLC are accused of surreptitiously directing and controlling the major operations and management of 22 Nebraska care homes under the Cottonwood Healthcare LLC umbrella and making decisions that harmed the nursing homes and benefited the Schwartzes and Skyline financially.

The facilities ultimately were put in receivership in 2018 after failing to make payroll. They were in communities across the state, including Omaha.

Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Vicki Adams said Skyline, through the Schwartzes, acquired operational ownership of well over 100 nursing homes in Nebraska and a half dozen other states starting in 2016.

Read more: https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/ny-couple-accused-of-59-6m-medicaid-fraud-involving-chain-of-nebraska-nursing-homes/article_9b7d985c-7a2f-11ec-a257-ffe8d66da4ed.html

[AllaN01Bear]

1. here is your medicaid fraud.

[Evolve Dammit]

2. pretty soon you're talking real money. Can you even imagine how much scum is out there? I can't.

[FakeNoose]

3. It looks like Skyline Healthcare was operating in several states

(link) https://www.nbcnews.com/health/aging/nursing-home-chain-grows-too-fast-collapses-elderly-disabled-residents-n1025381

This is an NBC News story from 2019, and the nursing homes were getting sued for negligence in multiple states for the last 5 years or more. Wherever they operated it was negligence, injuries and death ... and this was BEFORE Covid hit.

[Historic NY]

4. These people should get some real prison time in addition to paying back every cent.

I can't imagine the hell holes their residents had.

[Auggie]

5. Nursing homes have become a target of private equity as Boomers age ...

this group -- Brookdale Senior Living -- lists a hedge fund (Glenview Capital Management) as the largest share holder. The company reportedly earned $3.02 billion in 2020. They're probably ripping of the government just as successfully as Skyline (but doing a better job at not getting caught).

[Eugene]

6. Feds: Nursing home operator failed to pay $29.5M in taxes

Source: Associated Press

Feds: Nursing home operator failed to pay $29.5M in taxes

January 21, 2022

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The operator of a failed multi-state nursing home chain failed to pay $29.5 million in payroll and unemployment taxes for his employees at 95 facilities he operated in 11 states, federal prosecutors said.

Authorities on Thursday arrested Joseph Schwartz, 62, of Suffern, New York, and charged him in federal court in New Jersey with willful failure to pay over employment taxes, evasion of unemployment taxes and failure to file annual financial reports.

According to authorities, his New Jersey-based Skyline Management Group had approximately 15,000 employees and Schwartz failed to pay their taxes from mid-2017 through June 2018.

Prosecutors also alleged Schwartz failed to file annual financial reports related to Skyline’s 401K retirement plan contributions that are automatically withdrawn from an employee’s gross pay.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-new-jersey-tax-evasion-653a1ee17b8b6ca6eb349919a1acdaf5