Dr. Oz recently shed light on a troubling issue in Los Angeles County, describing it as a hotbed for healthcare fraud, particularly in the areas of hospice and home care. From Van Nuys, he pointed out a staggering concentration of 42 hospices crammed within a mere four-block radius. The presence of signs in Russian-Armenian script only adds to the suspicion surrounding this situation.
With a substantial theft of $16 million tied to one case, Oz criticized the leniency of the judicial system, noting that the primary perpetrator received only a two-year prison sentence. He estimated that local fraud schemes could amount to approximately $3.5 billion and linked much of this criminal activity to the Russian-Armenian mafia. This network appears to include doctors who are allegedly writing fraudulent prescriptions and exploiting the social security numbers of around 100,000 vulnerable patients. “L.A. County has become an epicenter for healthcare fraud in America,” Oz stated, emphasizing the depth of the corruption. “Criminals have corrupted the system so much that fraud is now almost expected.”
At the opening of his video highlighted in the report, Dr. Oz provided a perspective from the backseat of a car, showing signs indicating a cluster of medical facilities. “So you can see, these are medical buildings,” he remarked, illustrating the suspicious nature of the operations. “There are 42 hospices… So either there are a lot of people dying here, or you’ve got fraudulent activity that is so good that everyone wants to get in on it.” This stark observation underscores the confusion and concern surrounding the validity of these establishments.
Oz didn’t stop there. He highlighted a particularly egregious tactic used by these fraudulent operations. Describing a boarded-up area above him, he contextualized the situation further: “They [the fraudsters] just got an address they could claim was a hospice. And then they ran the business claiming people were at home getting services, which they really weren’t.” This insight momentarily pulls back the curtain on how these schemes operate with relative impunity.
Dr. Oz then linked the excess of fraudulent activities to organized crime. He stated, “What we have learned is there’s roughly three and a half billion dollars of fraud taking place here in Los Angeles, in hospice and home care.” His emphasis on the role of the Russian-Armenian mafia indicates a worrying connection to organized criminal efforts. He explained how this syndicate has systematically recruited numerous doctors to participate in this elaborate scheme, allowing them to fill their pockets at the expense of genuine patient care. “They’ve tricked or paid [patients] to give them their beneficiary numbers, allowing the criminals to run the whole organization,” he detailed, evoking concern over the extent of the deception.
As he wrapped up his comments, Oz acknowledged that California has largely overlooked these significant issues. However, he asserted that federal authorities are finally paying attention: “That’s going to change the US. The attorney, the FBI, and everyone are now focused on the fact that in this state, which has about $30 billion worth of home and community-based services, most of it might be fraudulent.”
Dr. Oz’s call for action resonates with growing alarm over the scale of these fraudulent operations. With fraud in healthcare costing billions of dollars and endangering patient care, he reaffirmed that “the president’s not going to tolerate this anymore.” His remarks shine a spotlight on an urgent issue that demands immediate action and accountability within the healthcare system.
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