Vance Anti‑Fraud Task Force Suspends 221 Los Angeles Hospice and Home‑Health Providers Amid FBI Raids
The Vance‑led anti‑fraud task force has suspended 221 hospice and home‑health providers in Los Angeles — up from 70 last week — and Fox News cites reports of coordinated FBI and SWAT raids across the area that included arrests tied to roughly $7 million in alleged fraud. Administration officials say suspensions are likely to rise, with Vice President J.D. Vance framing the operations as targeting those who stole “$50M+” and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz saying the roughly 10‑week “War on Fraud” is “getting close to what Governor Newsom did in four years,” while a Newsom spokesperson counters that the governor has already blocked $125 billion in fraud and that many implicated programs are federal.
📌 Key Facts
- The number of suspended hospice and home‑health providers in Los Angeles has risen to 221, a more than 215% increase from the 70 providers initially suspended last week as part of the Vance‑led anti‑fraud task force crackdown.
- Administration sources say the number of suspended hospice and home‑health providers in California is expected to grow “much, much higher” in the coming weeks.
- Coordinated FBI and SWAT raids across the Los Angeles area on Thursday morning led to arrests of individuals alleged to be behind roughly $7 million in fraud.
- Vice President J.D. Vance framed the Los Angeles operations as targeting fraudsters who stole “$50M+” from Americans by defrauding hospice and health‑care systems, tying the raids to the White House’s anti‑fraud narrative.
- CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said that in roughly 10 weeks of the federal ‘War on Fraud’ task force the administration is “getting close to what Governor Newsom did in four years” in terms of fraud actions.
- Political back‑and‑forth has followed the raids: Trump and Vance had signaled a California‑focused fraud push, while a Newsom spokesperson responded that the governor has already blocked $125 billion in fraud and that many of the problematic programs are federally, not state, run.
📊 Relevant Data
In Los Angeles County, there are roughly 1,800 hospice providers, with over 700 triggering multiple red flags for fraud, such as billing for ineligible patients or operating from shared addresses.
CBS News Investigation: Hundreds of LA hospices have multiple red flags for fraud — CBS News
Medicare pays approximately $27.5 billion annually for hospice care, serving about 1.8 million beneficiaries nationwide.
Hospice | Office of Inspector General | Government Oversight — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General
Suspected hospice fraud in the United States totaled an estimated $198.1 million in 2023.
Medicare is cracking down on rising fraud and improper care at hospice as admissions soar — MarketWatch
Hospice and home-care fraud in Los Angeles is estimated at roughly $3.5 billion, often involving fake companies and billing for non-terminal patients.
Hospice fraud is exploding in Los Angeles. Legitimate providers are caught in the crossfire — Proof
Victims of hospice fraud in California who report to the Senior Medicare Patrol are disproportionately Hispanic or Latinx.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Hospice Education and Hospice Fraud — California Hospice and Palliative Care Association
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
"The City Journal commentary criticizes systemic hospice‑Medicare fraud exposed by an FBI raid in California, blaming regulatory failures and perverse payment incentives while urging tougher enforcement and careful, non‑partisan reforms."
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Total suspended hospice and home health providers in Los Angeles has risen to 221, a more than 215% increase from the 70 initially suspended last week as part of the Vance-led anti-fraud task force crackdown.
- Administration sources tell Fox the number of suspended hospice and home health providers in California is expected to grow “much, much higher” in the coming weeks.
- The California Post is cited as reporting coordinated FBI and SWAT raids across the Los Angeles area on Thursday morning, including arrests of individuals alleged to be behind roughly $7 million in fraud.
- CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz boasts that in roughly 10 weeks of the federal ‘War on Fraud’ task force, the administration is “getting close to what Governor Newsom did in four years” in terms of fraud actions.
- Vice President JD Vance publicly frames the LA operations as targeting fraudsters who stole “$50M+” from Americans by defrauding hospice and health-care systems, tying the crackdown directly to the White House’s anti-fraud political narrative.
- The piece adds fresh political back-and-forth: Trump and Vance have been telegraphing a California-focused fraud push for weeks, and a Newsom spokesperson counters by claiming the governor has already blocked $125 billion in fraud and that many of the problem programs are federal, not state-run.