First of its Kind Lawsuit Against Brookdale Senior Living
A lawsuit filing on March 15, 2021, against the Tennessee-based Brookdale Senior Living, Inc ( Brookdale ) by a coalition of California District and City Attorneys and prior California Attorney General Xavier Becerra sent a shockwave through the senior living industry. The lawsuit alleges ten locations of current and former California Brookdale facilities gave false data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ( CMS )to garner higher “ star ratings ” that CMS provides to help consumers choose a quality nursing facility. Fraudulently increasing a facility’s star rating in several categories can attract more prospective patients and their families. The lawsuit also alleges these facilities did not follow legal discharge procedures that protect patient safety. Attorney General Becerra stated , “We are holding Brookdale accountable for artificially increasing its profits by cutting corners when transferring or discharging its patients. It lured individuals to its facilities through fa