Over 700 of the roughly 1,800 hospice agencies in Los Angeles County show multiple state identified indicators of fraud, according to an analysis by CBS News.
A 2022 California state audit highlights a staggering 1,500% surge in hospice agencies since 2010. By 2019, Los Angeles County’s density of hospice centers reached six and a half times the national average relative to its elderly population — a saturation point linked to an estimated $105 million in Medicare overbilling, according to CBS News.
While Medicare is federally funded, hospice licenses are managed at the state level. This regulatory gap has contributed to a national crisis. According to a 2023 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (OIG) report, suspected hospice fraud has reached an estimated $198.1 million…