Princeton Care Center Owners To Be Suspended From NJ Medicaid: Comptroller

PRINCETON, NJ – The owners and administrators of Princeton Care Center will be suspended from the state Medicaid program effective March, 28, the Office of the State Comptroller said.

The nursing home located at 728 Bunn Drive, closed suddenly on Sept. 1 last year, leaving many families scrambling to make last-minute arrangements to relocate the residents.

The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) said they can suspend and disqualify NJ Medicaid providers, including nursing home operators, when they provide poor quality care, commit fraud, and/or take actions that are harmful to residents or the Medicaid program.

On Nov. 9, 2023, OSC’s Medicaid Fraud Division notified Gail Bogner, the owner of Princeton Care Center, and her son Ezra Bogner, the administrator, that OSC was seeking to disqualify them from NJ Medicaid for 8 years for their failure to protect the health and safety of residents of the now-defunct nursing home, the OSC said.

The Bogners said they would appeal the disqualification; the disqualification is stayed, pending a resolution of those proceedings.

This suspension will prohibit the Bogners from receiving Medicaid funds or having any involvement in a facility that receives Medicaid funds while the disqualification action is still pending.

Gail Bogner has a minority stake in two other Medicaid-funded New Jersey nursing homes – Fountain View Care Center in Lakewood and Tallwoods Care Center in Bayville. According to OSC’s notice, she has 100 days to divest her ownership.

If she does not divest, the facilities would no longer be able to receive any Medicaid funding, OSC said.

“The Bogners’ recklessness, neglect, and incredibly poor judgment caused serious harm and trauma to the residents of Princeton Care Center,” Kevin Walsh, Acting State Comptroller said.

“It presents too serious of a risk to allow them to have influence over any other Medicaid-funded nursing homes.”

The facility shut down due to financial issues last year before the Labor Day Weekend. With less than a day’s notice, 72 residents had to be evacuated on an emergency basis.

“The Bogners were entrusted to maintain a safe environment for New Jersey residents and failed to meet this fundamental responsibility,” Walsh said. “We are taking action to protect other Medicaid recipients and the integrity of the New Jersey Medicaid Program.”

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