Operator of 20+ Wisconsin nursing homes charged with fraud

(Pixabay via MGN)
Published: Feb. 3, 2023 at 2:54 PM CST
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Not enough clean diapers. A lack of supplies to treat wounds. A dearth of durable medical equipment and respiratory supplies. Those were just some of the issues faced by residents of dozens of Wisconsin and Michigan nursing homes and assisted living facilities, federal prosecutors alleged Friday as they revealed fraud charges against Atrium Health and Senior Living and its former CEO, Kevin Breslin.

The now-indicted company ran more than 20 facilities across Wisconsin, according to a list provided by the Justice Dept. Along with other locations in Michigan, Atrium managed 24 skilled nursing homes and nine assisted living facilities, the agency said. (partial list below)

The Justice Dept. accuses Breslin and Atrium of taking money from the Wisconsin homes and using it for guaranteed payments to the company’s owners and to those who invested had invested in building other facilities in New Jersey, where Atrium is based and Breslin lives.

Not only did Atrium not provide enough of needed supplies, prosecutors continued, it did not pay all of its vendors, which led to services like monitoring fire alarms, providing physical therapy, and electronic medical records, being cut off. At times, they added, even phone and internet access were lost.

The Justice Dept. alleges the fraud lasted from the beginning of 2015 and ran through September 2018. During that time Atrium billed Medicare for over $189 million and Medicaid for over $218 million, receiving $49 million and $93 million in disbursements, respectively, the agency’s numbers show. To receive those federal dollars, the company pledged to meet quality of care standards and maintain adequate staffing and supplies, both of which, prosecutors say, did not happen.

In addition to allegedly neglecting its facilities and residents, prosecutors claim Atrium dipped into its employees’ paychecks. The statement accuses the company of withholding insurance premiums, then never paying the policies’ administrator. That resulted in the employees’ health claims not being paid. Also, the money employees set aside for their 401(k) plans did not end up with the pension administrator, according to prosecutors.

In all, Breslin and Atrium face charges of health care fraud, along with six counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit tax fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Facilities identified by the Justice Dept. as being run by Atrium during the period the fraud was occurring:

  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Appleton, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Black River Falls, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Bloomer, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Chetek, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Chilton, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Ellsworth; Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Kewaunee, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Lancaster, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Little Chute, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Marshfield, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Menominee, Michigan;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Mineral Point, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Neenah, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of New Holstein, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Oconto Falls, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Plymouth, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Shawano, Wisconsin, at Birch Hill,
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Shawano, Wisconsin, at Evergreen,
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Shawano, Wisconsin, at Maple Lane,
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Stevens Point, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Two Rivers, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Weston, Wisconsin;
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Williams Bay, Wisconsin; and
  • Atrium Post Acute Care of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.

Click here to download the NBC15 News app or our NBC15 First Alert weather app.