Federal Raids Target California Hospice Fraud; 8 Arrested, 221 Suspensions
Federal arrests in Los Angeles follow suspension of 221 hospice providers as authorities allege more than $50 million stolen from Medicare and other health plans.
Associated Press8 arrests made in federal crackdown on alleged health care fraud in Southern California
The Post MillennialVance’s anti-fraud task force suspends licenses for 221 California hospices, health care providers
Breitbart NewsAnti-Fraud Czar JD Vance Announces Arrests of 'Fraudsters Who Stole $50 Million' in CA
TownhallThe White House's New Fraud Task Force Takes Down It's First Target in California
Overview
Federal officials arrested eight people on Thursday in and around Los Angeles in alleged health-care and hospice fraud schemes that prosecutors said totaled more than $50 million.
The arrests came as the anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance has suspended 221 hospice and health-care providers in Los Angeles amid its crackdown, administration officials said.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced the operation and urged enforcement, while Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said the state paused new hospice licenses in 2021 and has revoked over 280 licenses.
Prosecutors said five cases involved hospice centers in Glendale, Artesia, Tarzana and Simi Valley, including an Artesia owner who submitted more than $9 million in fraudulent claims and a Tarzana-linked nurse who submitted more than $3.8 million in claims.
Prosecutors said some arrested would appear in federal court, court dates have not been set for others, and administration officials said suspensions and investigations are expected to increase in the coming weeks.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present the reporting as neutral: they attribute charged language to officials and balance government claims with state responses and facts. For example, the article quotes a U.S. attorney calling California a “kingdom of fraud” while also noting Newsom’s law, license revocations and a civil-rights complaint over Mehmet Oz’s remarks.