Literature Review

How a pickleball injury highlights fraud in California's hospice industry ArcaMax; by Richard Winton; 4/21/26 Lynn Ianni didn't learn she was apparently dying in a Los Angeles County hospice care facility until her Medicare claim for a pickleball injury was rejected. "At first we laughed because it was an obvious clerical error," the Seattle-based psychotherapist recalled before a congressional committee Tuesday, where she was providing testimony about her months-long experience in 2024 with fraud in the hospice industry. "It wasn't just frustrating, it was terrifying." Ianni appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill at a hearing that revealed details about fake claims and stolen doctors' identities. She was a victim of California hospice scammers. 

Full committee hearing on protecting patients and taxpayers: cracking down on Medicare fraud United State House Committee on Ways & Means, Chairman Jason Smith; 4/21/26 The House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) held a hearing today [4/21] examining the prevalence of fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare and efforts to combat fraud to protect patients and taxpayers.Full Committee Hearing: April 21, 2026, 10:00AM ET

“This is the beginning”: DOJ signals intensifying health care fraud enforcement in California Pillsbury; by Christopher Lee, Dylan M. Aste, Fank Kalinski; 4/16/26 Recent U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and California Attorney General enforcement activity sends a clear signal that California health care entities that interact with government programs—in particular the hospice and home health industries—are now under intense scrutiny. Companies in these sectors should prepare for subpoenas, Civil Investigative Demands, and searches as a result of federal and state agencies conducting independent and parallel investigations. This uptick in government enforcement is sure to spur qui tam relators and whistleblowers. Unprepared California hospice and home health companies may face significant civil, and even criminal, exposure.

St. Croix Hospice CCO: transparency, compliance fosters growthHospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/15/26Tami Johnson-White is the newly appointed chief compliance officer for St. Croix Hospice. Johnson-White brings 30 years of health care leadership experience to St. Croix Hospice. St. Croix Hospice operates more than 85 locations across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Hospice News sat down with Johnson-White to talk about her priorities as she comes into her new role, the top compliance issues facing hospices today and how they can prepare for audits.

Hundreds of hospice providers suspended in Los Angeles over $600 million in suspected fraud Washington Examiner; by Mia Cathell; 4/15/26 Vice President JD Vance's anti-fraud task force has suspended hundreds of hospices suspected of fraudulently billing for end-of-life services in Los Angeles, an area identified by both state and federal authorities as a hospice fraud hot spot. The newly appointed White House task force, headed by Vance, issued suspensions this week against 447 hospices and 23 home health agencies operating out of Los Angeles, pausing payments to providers believed to have defrauded federal healthcare programs out of more than $600 million.

Inside California’s hospice gold rush: the state’s IHSS program is losing between 20%-40% of its entire budget to fraudDeseret News; by Eva Terry; 4/14/26 An investigative report details large-scale hospice and in-home care fraud in California, where transnational criminal networks have billed the state for over $267 million in non-existent services. The state’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program is estimated to be losing 20–40% of its entire budget to fraud, prompting Governor Newsom’s administration to revoke hundreds of hospice licenses and make arrests. Despite state actions, over 700 active hospices in Los Angeles alone have triggered multiple red flags for fraud.Guest Editor's Note, by Judi Lund Person: Today's biggest developing thread remains the rumored national moratorium on new hospice Medicare enrollment. Hospice News reported on April 13 that questions are circulating in the industry about whether CMS is preparing a nationwide enrollment freeze for hospice providers, following a public push by state associations urging the agency not to do so. That story, combined with the ongoing California fraud crackdown and the FY 2027 proposed rule's new SSVI scoring system, paints a picture of an hospice care under enormous regulatory pressure on multiple fronts. 

Oregon governor signs Hospice Licensure Bill (SB 1575)  LegiScan - Bringing People to the Process; by Oregon Senate Bill 1575; 4/7/26New law bars individuals excluded from Medicare/Medicaid or found liable for fraud from holding ownership interest in a hospice program. 

The most connected hospice doctor in California CBS News Investigations; by Laura Geller, Rachel Gold, Adam Yamaguchi and Grace Manthey; 4/7/26 Physicians who oversee hospice clinics deliver a critical and delicate form of care to patients confronting terminal illness with the goal of helping them find dignity and comfort at the end of life. No active physicians oversaw more of these cases in California, or were reimbursed with more taxpayer money, than Dr. Rajiv Bhuva, according to federal records. ... Bhuva's name was listed on reimbursements for at least 2,800 patients across 126 California hospices in 2024. ... While fraud in the hospice industry is a long-running and complex problem, the role of physicians – knowingly or unwittingly facilitating it – has largely gone overlooked. 

Trump: JD Vance will be new fraud czar, focus on 'blue states' UPI (United Press International); by Lisa Hornung; 4/3/26 Vice President JD Vance is now the government's fraud czar, according to President Donald Trump, and he will focus on "blue states."

8 arrested in health care fraud takedown, including owners of hospices that billed taxpayers millions of dollars to serve the ‘dying’United States Attorney's Office - Central District of California, Los Angeles, CA; Press Release; 4/2/26More Than $50 Million in Intended Health Care Fraud Losses Charged In coordination with the Vice President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, eight defendants, including three nurses, a chiropractor, and a purported psychologist, have been arrested on federal charges that they schemed to defraud the nation’s health care system out of more than $50 million – including by running sham hospice care facilities that bilked Medicare by using people without terminal illnesses as beneficiaries, the Justice Department announced today.Editor's Note: As coverage escalates—often with sensational framing—we are anchoring in the official U.S. Attorney’s press release. The allegations are serious and demand accountability, but do not reflect the broader hospice field. This is a moment for leaders to reinforce clear, disciplined narratives that distinguish fraud from the mission-driven care centered on dignity and what matters most.

Feds charge 15 in SoCal hospice fraud crackdown MyNewsLA.com, Los Angeles, CA; by Contributing Editor; 4/2/26 A Covina married couple — a psychologist and a registered nurse — were among 15 defendants facing federal charges Thursday in Los Angeles as part of a crackdown on health care fraud schemes such as sham hospice facilities that pay people without terminal illnesses to pose as dying Medicare beneficiaries. ... Three nurses, a chiropractor, and the Covina psychologist were among eight defendants recently arrested in the investigation local law enforcement dubbed “Operation Never Say Die.”

Hospice of Amador & Calaveras addresses statewide hospice fraud concerns, reaffirms commitment to ethical, community-based careLedger News; Press Release; 3/30/26 In response to recent national media coverage highlighting concerns regarding hospice fraud in California, Hospice of Amador & Calaveras (HOAC) is reaffirming its commitment to ethical, transparent and compassionate care for patients and families across Amador and Calaveras counties. ... “Hospice care is built on trust, dignity and compassion,” said Samantha M. Lukow, Executive Director of Hospice of Amador & Calaveras. “While the reports are deeply concerning, it is important for our community to know that not all hospice providers operate in this manner. The vast majority of hospice organizations, including ours, are dedicated to providing ethical, patient-centered care.”