How Nursing Home Ownership Shapes Care Quality
The ownership structure of a nursing home is more than a corporate detail—it can directly influence the daily experiences and health outcomes of residents. Research consistently shows that owners’ decisions on staffing, investment, and operational priorities ripple through every aspect of care. When a single individual or company controls multiple facilities, those choices are multiplied, raising questions about oversight and resource distribution across a network.
The Scale of Ownership Concentration
Data from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) reveals a striking pattern: nearly one-fifth of all reported nursing home owners have a financial stake in five or more facilities. Even more notably, approximately 100 owners hold direct or indirect interests in 50 or more homes. This concentration means that a relatively small group of individuals or entities wields significant influence over the care delivered to thousands of elderly or disabled Americans. Such ownership patterns can complicate accountability, especially when issues arise at one facility within a larger portfolio.
A High-Profile Example: Benjamin Landa and Pinnacle Multicare
One owner whose reach spans dozens of homes is Benjamin Landa. In October, President Donald Trump nominated Landa to serve as U.S. ambassador to Hungary. Around the same time, ProPublica reported that Pinnacle Multicare Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which Landa co-owns, is suing the Trump administration. The lawsuit follows a Department of Health and Human Services audit that estimated over $30 million in Medicare overpayments to the facility.
An attorney for Landa denied any wrongdoing, stating that the audit’s findings stemmed from the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, when nursing homes nationwide were grappling with crisis conditions. This defense highlights the complex interplay between emergency response, billing practices, and regulatory scrutiny—a context that underscores why transparency in ownership is critical for public trust.
ProPublica’s Nursing Home Inspect: A Tool for Transparency
To help the public trace these ownership networks, ProPublica has enhanced its Nursing Home Inspect database. This free tool already allows users to search for federal inspection reports across more than 14,000 nursing facilities. Now, with a new update, anyone can search by the name of an owner, manager, or officer to see all references to that person across homes and filter results by location or role.
Bridging Gaps in Federal Data
CMS publishes data on “affiliated entities”—groups of homes linked by shared ownership or control. However, these groupings don’t always capture every connection. For instance, CMS lists Benjamin Landa as affiliated with 55 nursing homes in four states. Yet, when searching the raw ownership data, the name “Benjamin Landa” appears in records for 102 homes across eight states. This discrepancy shows how aggregated reports can obscure the full extent of an individual’s involvement, making it harder for families or journalists to assess potential risks or patterns.
Uncovering Hidden Networks
The updated database goes a step further: when you search for a specific person or company, it surfaces others who frequently appear alongside that name. This feature helps reveal informal networks or repeated partnerships that might not be evident in formal ownership lists. For example, if an owner consistently appears with certain managers or entities across state lines, users can spot clusters that merit closer examination.
Looking Ahead: Evolving with Community Input
ProPublica is committed to refining Nursing Home Inspect in the coming months, based on user feedback and new data. If you use the
