California Medical Board Reprimands Psychiatrist Tsilya Bass over Prescribing Issues, Cites CCHR Complaint

July 21, 2025

On June 13, 2025, the Medical Board of California (Board) issued a reprimand against the license of psychiatrist Tsilya Bass, relative to her care and treatment of six patients. It is effective as of July 11, 2025.

This action was based on findings of the Board’s investigation of Bass, as described in the Accusation the Board issued in August 2024, which stated that “Between 2016 and 2019, you [Bass] departed from the standard of care by inappropriately monitoring patients to whom you prescribed controlled medications and failing to maintain adequate records in connection with the treatment and care of these patients…."

The Board’s investigation ensued from a complaint the Board received from Citizens Commission on Human Rights:

On June 3,2022, the Medical Board received a complaint from the Legal Coordinator at the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) regarding possible Medicare fraud related to Bass’ prescribing practices. According to a CCHR investigation Bass was the fourth-highest prescriber of medications nationally, billing over $7,500,000 to Medicare.

Upon receipt of the complaint, Health Quality Investigation Unit (HQIU) investigators obtained CURES [state Controlled Substance Utilization and Review System] reports for Bass and elected to focus on six patients. During the investigation, HQIU Investigators obtained prescription records for the patients from multiple pharmacies.

The Accusation, which can be read in its entirety here, goes into considerable detail of Bass’s treatment of each of the six patients. The Board summed up Bass’ departures in three causes for discipline:

• Gross negligence: Bass acted with gross negligence by prescribing controlled substances to Patients 2 and 4 without proper medication monitoring. 

• Failure to maintain adequate treatment records: Bass failed to create and maintain proper medical records of her care and treatment of patients 1 through 6. 

• Repeated negligent acts: Bass prescribed medications and controlled substances to patients 1-6 without obtaining prior informed consent; failed to properly monitor patients 1-6 after prescribing multiple controlled substances; and failed to maintain adequate treatment records during the care and treatment of patients 1-6.

The Board’s documents states that Bass agreed that, at a hearing, the Board could establish a factual basis for the charges in the Accusation. Bass gave up her right to contest those charges.

The terms of the Board’s reprimand included reimbursement to the Board’s of its costs of investigation--$46,282.80—within 30 days of the effective date of the reprimand.

Source: Decision in the Matter of the Accusation Against Tsilya Bass, M.D., Physician’s & Surgeon’s Certificate No. A63630, Case No. 800-2022-088973, Medical Board of California, June 13, 2025.