Staff Reports
Los Angeles County has become ground zero for a massive scam draining billions from Medicare and Medicaid through fraudulent home health care and hospice operations. Nearly 18% of the nation's home health care billing originates from this single area, where nearly 2,000 hospice agencies operate—more than 36 states combined and far exceeding numbers in Florida or New York. One doctor alone billed $120 million in a single year for just 1,900 patients, raising glaring red flags about sham companies enrolling "ghost patients" who receive no care.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, serving under President Trump's administration, has spotlighted this epidemic, estimating $3.5 billion in annual fraud just in LA County, fueled by a seven-fold explosion in hospice providers over five years. Recruiters prowl senior centers, offering cash and supplies to snag Medicare numbers, then sell them to offshore-linked operators for kickbacks while billing $260 daily per enrollee—often for patients who don't qualify or even know they're enrolled. House Republicans, including key committee chairmen, have demanded answers from HHS on these outrages, from 112 hospices crammed into one unmarked building to patients shuffled like trading cards to dodge audits.
https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/2018331710224474216
This isn't a mere oversight lapse; it's the predictable rot of unchecked big government programs that liberals champion as compassion but deliver as cash cows for criminals, including foreign gangs corrupting doctors and strip-mall schemers. California officials like Attorney General Rob Bonta admit it's an "epidemic," yet they've revoked only a fraction of fraudulent licenses despite a moratorium on new ones—leaving vulnerable seniors without real care while their benefits are locked up by scammers. Everyday taxpayers nationwide foot this bill, subsidizing LA's chaos as federal auditors uncover improper payments topping $1.2 billion.
President Trump's team is right to crack down hard, exposing how liberal governance in deep-blue California turns safety nets into slush funds, prioritizing unchecked spending over airtight controls. The average LA hospice stay stretches months, with patients discharged alive far too often, screaming fraud while legitimate providers get squeezed out. This betrayal hits hardest at America's seniors, whom these policies claim to protect, proving once again that expanding government without ironclad accountability invites abuse.
It's past time for real accountability—revoke every shady license, prosecute the kingpins, and reform these bloated programs to prioritize actual patients over profiteers. Americans deserve leaders who safeguard their dollars and deliver honest care, not excuses from a system rigged for failure. With Trump back in charge, this scandal could mark the turning point against wasteful, fraud-riddled bureaucracy.
