US Federal Authorities Arrest Eight in $50M Southern California Hospice Fraud
Key Takeaways
- Eight people arrested and federally charged in Southern California health care and hospice fraud.
- Fraud totals about $50 million; some reports cite $60 million.
- Hospices billed Medicare for patients not terminally ill.
Widespread Hospice Fraud
Federal authorities arrested eight individuals in Southern California.
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.
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.
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