CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said this week that federal officials will intensify efforts to crack down on hospice fraud following a recent raid on an illegal hospice operation in Southern California, underscoring growing concern over abuse in the Medicare system.
In a March 18 post on Twitter, Oz wrote, “Hospice fraud isn’t just about stealing your tax dollars – in some cases it’s about stealing your life,” adding, “We won’t rest until seniors and taxpayers are safe.” Authorities conducted the raid earlier this month, though officials have not released details on arrests or the total amount of alleged fraudulent billing tied to the case.
Hospice fraud isn’t just about stealing your tax dollars – in some cases it’s about stealing your life.
Federal and state authorities raided this illegal hospice ring in southern California earlier this month, but there are plenty more like it. We won’t rest until seniors and… pic.twitter.com/5HVaa14xiU
— DrOzCMS (@DrOzCMS) March 18, 2026
The announcement comes as regulators face increasing scrutiny over hospice providers accused of billing Medicare for patients who are not terminally ill—or, in some cases, do not exist. Investigations and reporting in recent years have identified schemes involving kickbacks, shell companies, and fraudulent patient enrollments, with losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Oz said the California case is part of a broader pattern and signaled that additional enforcement actions are expected. His comments align with wider efforts at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to target fraud across federal health programs, including recent attention to questionable billing practices involving durable medical equipment and adult daycare services.
The issue has drawn public attention online, especially as Nick Shirley has exposed the obvious fraud happening in California.
🚨 WOW! Nick Shirley just CONFRONTED people walking out of a dilapidated California “hospice center” — which received MILLIONS of tax dollars — and they jumped in expensive cars
ALL members of the same family. And of course, they ran away.
BIG SCAM!
pic.twitter.com/Q2lGaDrDEw— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 17, 2026
The crackdown also reflects a broader push within the Trump administration and the Department of Health and Human Services to strengthen oversight of Medicare and Medicaid spending. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has emphasized program integrity as a priority.
CMS officials have indicated that more information on the California case and additional enforcement actions may be released in the coming weeks.
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