Trending Now - Task Force Freezes $1.4B in Alleged Hospice Fraud Payments
WHO:
[12:38 PM EDT] - CBS News - Brett Blackman, 42, owner and CEO of HealthSplash, was convicted of healthcare fraud.
[12:38 PM EDT] - CBS News - Gary Cox, co-defendant and former CEO of DMERx, was convicted in June 2025 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
IJR - Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force is leading the effort to suspend payments.
NY Post - Health and Human Services inspector general Thomas Bell will communicate an ultimatum to 50 states.
Newsweek - The Vance Task Force is involved in the crackdown on hospice fraud.
Fox News - The Trump administration is implicated in the decision to withhold funds.
WHAT:
[12:38 PM EDT] - CBS News - Blackman and his co-conspirators billed Medicare and other federal healthcare benefit programs over $1 billion, with Medicare paying out more than $450 million.
[12:38 PM EDT] - CBS News - Blackman faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for healthcare and wire fraud, and an additional five years for other counts. A sentencing hearing is set for Aug. 26.
IJR - The task force has suspended roughly $1.4 billion in federal payments to home health and hospice providers across the country.
NY Post - A new nationwide audit will accompany the ultimatum regarding Medicaid funding.
Newsweek - Medicare has frozen new hospice providers nationwide as part of a fraud crackdown.
Fox News - $1.4 billion has been withheld from home health and hospice providers suspected of fraud.
WHERE:
Newsweek - The actions affect hospice providers nationwide.
WHY:
[12:38 PM EDT] - CBS News - Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described the fraud scheme as "one of the most egregious fraud schemes in Florida history."
NY Post - The ultimatum is intended to enforce a crackdown on fraud in the states.
Newsweek - The crackdown is intended to address concerns over future access and oversight in hospice care.
Fox News - The action is part of an intensified anti-fraud effort.
HOW:
[12:38 PM EDT] - CBS News - The fraud involved generating "false and fraudulent doctors' orders" and using illegal kickbacks with telemedicine doctors and pharmacies.
IJR - The effort is being conducted through a partnership with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Newsweek - The freeze on new hospice providers is a method employed by Medicare to combat suspected fraud.
(UPDATED May 14, 2026 17:34 UTC)
Brett Blackman, the owner and CEO of HealthSplash, has been convicted of healthcare fraud, with his scheme involving over $1 billion in fraudulent billing to Medicare and other federal healthcare programs, which resulted in more than $450 million in payouts. Blackman faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for healthcare and wire fraud, along with an additional five years for other counts, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for August 26. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has labeled this fraud scheme as "one of the most egregious fraud schemes in Florida history," highlighting the serious nature of the offenses that included generating false doctors' orders and illegal kickbacks.
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(UPDATED May 14, 2026 06:08 UTC)
Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force is taking significant action by suspending approximately $1.4 billion in federal payments to home health and hospice providers nationwide. This initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The task force aims to ensure the integrity of these payments as part of its broader anti-fraud efforts.
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(UPDATED May 13, 2026 19:34 UTC)
Health and Human Services inspector general Thomas Bell is set to deliver an ultimatum to all 50 states regarding Medicaid funding. This ultimatum will be accompanied by a new nationwide audit aimed at addressing concerns over fraud. The initiative reflects a significant effort to enforce stricter oversight and accountability in state Medicaid programs.
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(UPDATED May 13, 2026 17:44 UTC)
The Vance Task Force is actively involved in a crackdown on hospice fraud, which has led Medicare to freeze new hospice providers nationwide as part of this effort. As a result, $1.4 billion has been withheld from home health and hospice providers suspected of fraudulent activities, with implications reaching across the country. This intensified anti-fraud initiative aims to address concerns about future access and oversight in hospice care.