The Trump Administration has focused its investigative efforts on Los Angeles County amid growing reports of extensive medical fraud. Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, highlights shocking figures that suggest a level of wrongdoing rarely seen in the healthcare sector.
According to FOX News, one Los Angeles doctor allegedly billed the government an astonishing $120 million over just one year. This doctor claimed to manage an improbable 1,900 patients, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of such numbers. In fact, a staggering 18% of the entire nation’s home health care billing originates from Los Angeles County. This alarming statistic is difficult to overlook, prompting many to ask: what is happening in LA?
Dr. Oz pointed out the sheer volume of hospice agencies operating in the area. LA County boasts nearly 2,000 registered hospice agencies. To put that into perspective, it has more hospice providers than 36 states combined and is thirty times greater than the totals for both Florida and New York. Such disconcerting figures indicate that something is amiss.
Dr. Oz elaborated on the ease of establishing a hospice in Los Angeles. “How is that possible?” he asked. He pointed to a map showing clusters of 287 hospice providers within just two miles of each other. Shockingly, some of these agencies operate out of strip malls, unmarked buildings, and even wrecking yards and vacant lots. The entire setup appears to hinge on paperwork, with Dr. Oz noting that one could conceivably obtain a hospice license without ever needing to step foot in California itself. “I could fill that out in Kazakhstan if I want and get a hospice license waiting for me,” he said, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
The investigation is vital as it seeks to root out fraudulent practices that could harm trust in the healthcare system and drain resources meant for legitimate care. As this situation unfolds, the stakes are high not only for those involved but also for the integrity of healthcare services across the nation.
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