Alden Nursing Center-Lakeland, Inc. v. Patla

The Illinois Department of Public Aid (Department) sought to recover overpayments it made to 10 nursing homes. The nursing homes requested hearings and sought to set off alleged Department underpayments against the overpayments. The hearing officers refused to consider evidence the nursing homes presented to show that the Department failed to pay other amounts due when it made the overpayments. The Director of the Department adopted the hearing officers’ decisions, holding that sovereign immunity precluded the hearing officers from considering the claims for underpayments. The trial court…