The landlord says he rarely sees staff at suites rented to home health businesses as state and federal reviews intensify.
PORTLAND, ME — A low-rise Portland office building that lists 10 home health care companies among its tenants appears largely empty day to day, the building’s owner said Tuesday, renewing questions about whether some providers are real workplaces or paper fronts as regulators probe billing and licensing practices.
The cluster of firms comes amid broader concern about “ghost” or “zombie” offices tied to home-based care providers in Maine. Investigators and reporters have highlighted addresses with multiple agencies and little on-site activity while Maine’s health department and federal partners review claims and licensing records. The Portland site, where roughly half the suites are leased to home health businesses, has become a focal point because the landlord describes minimal foot traffic, a contrast with the industry’s rapid growth and heavy public funding. The situation touches MaineCare and Medicare oversight, landlord-tenant issues, and the reliability of business records used to enroll providers.
Owner Ron Nevins said he counted 10 health care companies renting space in the building and “rarely sees anyone” coming or going besides occasional mail pickup or deliveries. He said he began noticing the pattern in late 2025, after reviewing his tenant list and making unannounced visits to check on maintenance. “It’s quiet most days,” Nevins said, describing hallways with lights off and doors locked during typical business hours. He said he has not received complaints from neighbors about traffic or parking, and that rent is current for the tenants in question. The building directory shows a mix of numbered suites registered to entities with similar lines of business, according to leasing records reviewed on-site.
Maine officials say they are watching the sector. The Department of Health and Human Services has recently halted payments to at least one provider pending a fraud investigation and has sought to claw back money after audits uncovered overbilling by other agencies. In public statements, the department has pledged to hold providers to high standards and to pursue recoveries when documentation is missing or claims are not supported. Federal authorities also continue routine Medicare oversight that can include site visits, enrollment checks and claim reviews. It remains unknown whether any of the tenants at the Portland building are targets of a specific state or federal action; several listed companies did not respond to messages left at the phone numbers on file, and emails to corporate contacts bounced or were not returned.
Empty or seldom-staffed offices are not proof of wrongdoing. Many home health companies dispatch aides directly to patient homes and keep lean administrative footprints, especially after the pandemic pushed scheduling and intake online. But investigators say physical offices can be used to satisfy paperwork requirements without supporting real operations, complicating efforts to verify services billed to MaineCare and Medicare. In recent months, watchdog reports and court filings have described cases in which records were incomplete, contact numbers had been disconnected, or providers closed shortly after repayment demands. The Portland building drew attention because it concentrates so many similar businesses at one address, making it easier to spot patterns across names, suite numbers and state licensing entries.
Regulators say they are tightening enrollment and oversight rules for personal support services and home health agencies, areas historically vulnerable to abuse. That includes cross-checking state licenses with federal billing IDs, reviewing payroll ledgers to confirm staff rosters and hours, and conducting unannounced visits when red flags appear. The state has scheduled internal reviews tied to recent audits and has notified some providers of pending administrative actions. Any criminal charges would follow separate investigations by law enforcement. As of Tuesday, no new enforcement notices specifically tied to the Portland building had been posted on public dockets, and the health department declined to discuss individual providers, citing confidentiality rules.
On the ground, the building presents an odd scene for an office center dominated by health-related names. Midmorning, the parking lot sits half empty. A few suite doors display paper signs with company logos and business hours, but blinds are drawn. In the lobby, two workers from an unrelated firm described seeing package carriers and occasional visitors who ask for directions but said they rarely encounter staff from the listed home health agencies. “It’s mostly delivery folks,” said one employee who works down the hall. Nevins said he is cooperating with any inquiries and expects tenants to comply with their leases. “We want legitimate businesses here,” he said. “If people have questions, they should ask the agencies and the state.”
For now, the Portland address remains active for multiple companies in state and business filings. Investigative reporters plan additional visits this week, and the health department said program integrity staff will continue ongoing reviews. Any updates on licensing, payment suspensions or recoveries are expected to be posted on agency websites or announced in public notices. The next milestone is an internal state audit briefing expected later this month.
Author note: Last updated January 21, 2026.