{"id":200723,"date":"2026-04-09T17:00:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T00:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=200723"},"modified":"2026-04-09T17:00:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T00:00:33","slug":"newsom-says-california-stops-major-hospice-fraud-scheme-in-la","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=200723","title":{"rendered":"Newsom Says…”California Stops Major Hospice Fraud Scheme in LA”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Sacramento, CA…Governor Gavin Newsom today announced with Attorney General Rob Bonta that California is taking decisive action to dismantle a large-scale identity theft and hospice fraud scheme targeting the Medi-Cal program in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

This joint enforcement effort \u2014 which began in 2024, prior to the Trump administration’s\u00a0regulation rollback<\/a>\u00a0following President Trump\u2019s\u00a0pardon of the man<\/a>\u00a0behind the biggest health care fraud in U.S. history \u2014 led by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and the California Department of Justice\u2019s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA), underscores California\u2019s continuous commitment to protecting Medi-Cal members and safeguarding taxpayer dollars from fraud, waste, and abuse.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cFor years, California has led the charge to protect public programs from fraud and abuse. We hold accountable to the fullest extent of the law anyone who tries to rip off taxpayers and take advantage of public programs, particularly those as sensitive as hospice care. I thank the Department of Health Care Services and the California DOJ\u2019s Department of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse for their swift work to bring these charges forward. Since these are state charges, Donald Trump cannot pardon these individuals in exchange for campaign donations.\u201d<\/h4>\n
\nGovernor Gavin Newsom<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\u201cThis isn\u2019t a political game for us. This is about protecting taxpayer dollars, protecting programs sick and vulnerable Californians rely on, and protecting our state,\u201d\u00a0said<\/strong>\u00a0Attorney General Rob Bonta<\/strong>. \u201cOver the life of this fraud scheme, not a single legitimate hospice service was ever provided, yet millions were billed in a brazen, calculated scheme that exploited the Medi-Cal system. This wasn\u2019t a mistake or a loophole; it was deliberate fraud. This kind of abuse undermines trust, drains critical resources, and threatens care for those who truly depend on it. This is a perfect example that we have taken a firm stand to investigate, prosecute, and shut down hospice fraud wherever it exists.\u201d<\/p>\n

DHCS and DMFEA are bringing charges against transnational criminal networks that used stolen identities to fraudulently enroll individuals in Medi-Cal and bill for hospice services that were never provided.<\/p>\n

The scheme involved 14\u00a0fraudulent hospice providers and resulted in more than $267 million in improper claims paid with state and federal funds.<\/p>\n

The state acted swiftly to protect Medi-Cal and taxpayer dollars by:<\/p>\n