{
  "id": 3662206,
  "title": "California and the federal government battle over hospice fraud, as victims lose coverage and care",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/california-and-the-federal-government-battle-over-hospice-fraud-as",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T04:07:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/health/2026/08/26/california-and-the-federal-government-battle-over-hospice-fraud-as-victims-lose-coverage-and-care"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At 71, Linda Henry felt healthy and only visited her doctor in Southern California for occasional checkups. She was surprised when she discovered in 2024 that she had been enrolled in hospice care.\n\nCalifornia's elderly residents have been targets of rampant fraud in the hospice industry. Scammers create fake hospices and deceive people into enrolling, or steal identities to bill Medicare for services. California has removed over 1,000 hospices from Medicare since early 2025 due to this issue.\n\nMedicare will not cover additional medical treatment once someone enrolls in hospice, leaving vulnerable seniors without crucial care. Fraudsters have taken advantage of this, resulting in millions of taxpayer dollars being sent to them each year.\n\nCalifornia has taken steps to address the problem, revoking nearly 500 licenses and enacting stricter criteria for approving new licenses. Federal officials estimate that LA County alone accounts for $3.5 billion in fraudulent hospice claims.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Linda Henry enrolled in fraudulent hospice care at 71.",
    "California removed over 1,000 fraudulent hospices from Medicare.",
    "Federal officials estimate $3.5 billion in fraudulent hospice claims in LA County."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The crackdown on fraudulent hospices in California highlights a broader struggle to protect vulnerable seniors from exploitation and ensure they receive necessary care amidst a backdrop of lax oversight and lucrative scams.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}