Feds’ LA Hospice Fraud Takedown: Just the Start
My latest column for the California Post looks at a major federal crackdown on hospice fraud in Los Angeles — and why this case may be just the tip of the iceberg.
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A Fraud System That Grew in Plain Sight
I have a new column up at the California Post focusing on the arrest of eight individuals tied to a $50 million hospice fraud scheme — where patients who were not terminally ill were allegedly enrolled in hospice care and billed to taxpayers.
But the arrests themselves are not the real story.
What stands out is the scale of what investigators have uncovered: hundreds of questionable hospice providers operating in Los Angeles County, with some addresses linked to dozens of entities and little or no actual medical activity.
That does not happen overnight.
In the column, I walk through how this type of fraud takes root, how it expands, and why enforcement often comes long after the damage is done. I also connect this case to a broader pattern — repeated failures in oversight that have cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars across multiple programs.
There is also a national dimension here. Because Medicare dollars are federal, the consequences extend far beyond California.
And there are serious accountability questions.
How did this many questionable providers operate without intervention? What does this say about the systems that are supposed to prevent exactly this kind of abuse?
I also take a hard look at the political implications — from Sacramento to Los Angeles — and why this issue is not going away anytime soon.
You can read the full column at the California Post HERE.