The Suncrest Hospice lawsuit most often referenced is Wilson v. Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC, a California Private Attorneys General Act case that settled in July 2025 for a gross amount of $1,335,000 covering 1,137 employees. A separate federal case, Mauricio v. Suncrest Health Services, was a non-compete and trade-secrets fight with rival Bristol Hospice that was sent back to California state court in early 2023. Neither matter involved allegations of Medicare fraud.
The Wilson PAGA Case in California
Jeanine Wilson filed suit against Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC and related entities in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, on February 23, 2021, under case number 21CV376396.1PlainSite. Wilson v. Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC, et al. PAGA lets an employee bring Labor Code claims on behalf of other workers, standing in for the state’s labor enforcement agency. The specific violations alleged in Wilson’s complaint are not detailed in available records; PAGA suits against hospice and home health employers typically involve unpaid overtime, missed meal and rest breaks, inaccurate wage statements, and unreimbursed business expenses.
The procedural path was uneven. The court dismissed the class action claims without prejudice in June 2021, and Wilson filed an amended complaint recasting the case as a representative PAGA action. In October 2022, the defendants moved to compel arbitration of Wilson’s individual PAGA claim and to dismiss or stay the representative claims, with a hearing set for February 2023.1PlainSite. Wilson v. Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC, et al.
The case settled in July 2025. The $1.335 million gross settlement covered 1,137 aggrieved employees and roughly 41,000 PAGA pay periods. Wilson was represented by Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, a firm that focuses on California employment class actions and PAGA claims.2CABIA. Jeanine Wilson v. Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC, et al.
How the Settlement Was Divided
The gross $1.335 million was allocated across the following categories:2CABIA. Jeanine Wilson v. Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC, et al.
- PAGA penalties of $821,400, the largest slice. Under California law, 75% of PAGA penalties go to the state’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency and 25% is distributed to the aggrieved employees.
- An individual PAGA payment of $205,350 to Wilson as the named plaintiff.
- Attorney fees of $445,000, about a third of the gross settlement.
- Litigation expenses of $60,000.
- Settlement administration costs of $8,600.
The Bristol Hospice Non-Compete Dispute
The second lawsuit grew out of a personnel move. Suncrest terminated Alex Mauricio in January 2022. He had joined the company in September 2018 and had signed employment agreements containing both an anti-raiding covenant and a non-compete covenant.3GovInfo. Mauricio, et al. v. Suncrest Health Services, LLC
Mauricio then took a job as Chief Strategy Officer at Bristol Hospice LLC, a direct competitor. Suncrest accused him of disclosing confidential business plans and soliciting Suncrest employees. In February 2022, Suncrest sued Mauricio in Utah state court (Salt Lake County Third District Court), and the following month its lawyers sent letters to Mauricio and Bristol repeating those allegations.3GovInfo. Mauricio, et al. v. Suncrest Health Services, LLC
Mauricio and Bristol countered by filing their own suit in Santa Clara County Superior Court, invoking the California Labor Code, which broadly prohibits non-compete agreements. Suncrest removed the case to the Northern District of California on diversity grounds. On February 15, 2023, U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila granted the plaintiffs’ motion to remand, finding that both Bristol and Suncrest were effectively Utah entities, which defeated the complete diversity needed for federal jurisdiction. Suncrest’s motion to dismiss was denied as moot, and the case returned to state court.3GovInfo. Mauricio, et al. v. Suncrest Health Services, LLC
What Is Not in Suncrest’s Litigation Record
Federal enforcement against hospice providers has intensified in recent years, with agents suspending 447 hospices and 23 home health agencies in the greater Los Angeles area in April 2026 in connection with roughly $600 million in alleged Medicare fraud.4Home Health Care News. Hospice Fraud Trends Highlight Risk for At-Home Care Providers in Expanding Enforcement Net Available records show no False Claims Act case or federal fraud investigation naming Suncrest. The lawsuits involving the company have centered on employment practices and a competitor dispute, not billing conduct.