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Widespread Hospice Fraud
Federal authorities arrested eight individuals in Southern California.
“Federal authorities have arrested eight individuals accused of orchestrating various health care fraud schemes totaling $50 million”
Five cases involved hospice centers that allegedly billed Medicare for patients not terminally ill.
The defendants include three nurses, a chiropractor, and a psychologist.
The Trump administration has made combating health care fraud in California a priority.
The Covina Couple at 626 Hospice
A Covina psychologist and his wife were arrested for operating a fraudulent hospice business called 626 Hospice.
They submitted more than $5.2 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.
The couple is charged with paying illegal kickbacks for patient referrals.
State-Federal Tensions
Governor Newsom's office welcomed the federal crackdown.
“Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the state has already aggressively cracked down on hospice fraud”
California had revoked more than 280 hospice licenses in two years.
This highlights overlapping but sometimes fraught efforts to combat fraud.
Operation Never Say Die
The arrests came as part of "Operation Never Say Die."
Southern California is a high-risk environment for healthcare fraud.
The federal focus is linked to Vice President Vance's Task Force.