Trending Now - Dr. Oz Addresses Hospice Fraud Amid Medicare Investigation
WHO:
Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under Trump administration
Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democrat, California
Lynn Ianni, victim of Medicare fraud
Dr. Gilbert Faustina, 87 years old, physician linked to Medicare fraud
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, Republican, New York
WHAT:
Dr. Oz pledged to decertify hospice providers found defrauding taxpayers
Over 700 of the 1,800 hospices in Los Angeles County trigger red flags for fraud
Suspected hospice fraud nationwide amounts to an estimated $198.1 million as reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General in 2023
California has revoked around 280 hospice licenses
Home health agencies linked to Dr. Faustina billed nearly $600 million to Medicare between 2021 and 2024, including nearly $210 million in 2024 alone
Beneficiary patient count for agencies associated with Dr. Faustina rose from 9,693 in 2021 to 29,527 in 2024
76,000 claims were filed on behalf of patients linked to Dr. Faustina
WHERE:
Los Angeles County, California
Specific address linked to Dr. Faustina in Van Nuys, California
Multiple addresses in Los Angeles County with over 1,923 hospice providers
WHEN:
Dr. Oz made his pledge on March 13th, 2026
Congresswoman Tenney wrote to Dr. Oz in November 2025
Data from 2021 to 2024 regarding billing and patient counts
WHY:
Dr. Oz aims to combat hospice fraud to protect taxpayer money and ensure legitimate care for patients
Allegations of widespread fraud in California have become a political issue, with accusations against Democratic leaders for failing to prevent fraud
HOW:
Dr. Oz's plan includes taking away billing privileges from illegitimate hospices based on established criteria
California launched a multi-agency Hospice Fraud Task Force to investigate and enforce anti-fraud measures
Fraudulent billing practices include using multiple licenses to shuffle patients and avoid scrutiny
(UPDATED March 14, 2026 01:26 UTC)
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, announced on March 13 that he will work to decertify hospice providers found to be defrauding taxpayers, as over 700 of the 1,800 hospices in Los Angeles County have raised red flags for fraud. This comes amid alarming reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which estimate that suspected hospice fraud nationwide amounts to about $198.1 million, with California revoking around 280 hospice licenses to combat the issue. Dr. Oz's plan includes taking away billing privileges from illegitimate hospices, while California has launched a multi-agency Hospice Fraud Task Force to investigate these fraudulent practices.