A California nursing home in Encinitas, California has become the latest facility to get a $100,000 fine for conditions that led to a patient's death. State officials concede collecting these fines can take years.
State regulators reserve the $100,000, or AA fine for the most severe violations of health and safety codes.
Nursing homes have the right to appeal the fine and most of them do so.
In 2007, the state issued more than $2 million worth of AA fines. To date, the state has collected less than ten percent.
Evidently, the California Department of Health Services doesn't have enough attorneys, their appeal system is broken down,and they don't even have enough administrative law judges to process the appeals and collect the fines imposed.
State officials say a nursing home can lose its license if it gets two AA fines within a 24-month period.
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