Robert F. Kennedy Jr. highlighted the alleged rampant Los Angeles hospice fraud he stated was “run by Russian mobsters” following the Publish expose on hospice fraud in LA that’s value taxpayers greater than $100 million.
Throughout his current look on the Bossticks podcast, the Secretary of Well being and Human Providers stated “there’s extra hospice corporations” in LA than within the “whole nation mixed.”
“They’re primarily operated by Russian mobsters, and so they declare to be caring for people who find themselves dying and charging the federal authorities of their houses,” the HHS Secretary stated. “So, it’s house care.”
“In order that they’re offering nurses to anyone who’s dying in their very own house. And it’s all fraudulent.”
RFK Jr. then turned the podcast host’s questions round and requested them in the event that they knew “what the mortality fee is for these Russian hospices in Los Angeles?”
Answering his personal query, the HHS Secretary then made the jaw-dropping declare that these hospices “have 100% survival fee.”
“No one ever dies. In order that they’re in hospice, they’re simply constructed eternally, and so they’re, the folks don’t truly exist,” RFK Jr. stated. “They, you understand, they’re simply affected person IDs that they’ve stolen.”
The stunning feedback by the HHS secretary comes following stories that the state of California is being investigated by the Home Oversight Committee over alleged hospice fraud.
The investigation comes off the again of the Publish’s revelations that a number of “ghost” hospices have been allegedly billing the federal government whereas working from buildings which have been deserted for years.
The key community included empty storefronts, auto components outlets and different workplaces that weren’t in use, whereas different addresses didn’t exist in any respect.
The Republican-led Home Oversight Committee demanded all paperwork and communications referring to audits and oversight of federally-funded hospice packages be handed over.
Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) despatched a damning letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, claiming the state has a “well-documented historical past of fraud in its hospice packages” and estimated the whole quantity at over $105 million.
The letter stated: “Current reporting has revealed alarming proof of fraudulent exercise in California’s hospice packages, together with businesses overbilling Medicare and fraudulently enrolling beneficiaries with out their information.”
It added: “The Committee is worried your administration doesn’t have enough inside controls to stop and detect fraud and isn’t conducting correct oversight of those hospice packages.”
“Because of this, People throughout the nation are paying for California’s rampant hospice fraud and susceptible sufferers are being exploited.”
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The committee stated its auditors estimate LA County hospice suppliers overbilled Medicare by not less than $105 million in a single yr, including it had seen a 1,500% enhance in registrations since 2010 — leading to greater than 2,800 suppliers throughout the state.
Newsom got here out swinging after the investigation was introduced, claiming a moratorium he imposed in 2021 stopped “unhealthy actors” getting into the system.
“In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed laws inserting a moratorium on new hospice licenses – a coverage that is still in impact immediately, stopping unhealthy actors from getting into the system whereas strengthening oversight of present suppliers,” a spokesman stated.
“This work is delivering outcomes, as greater than 280 hospice licenses have been revoked over the previous two years and an extra 300 suppliers are beneath investigation.”
“The state continues to take coordinated motion to droop Medi-Cal funds, revoke licenses, and pursue prosecutions.”
The Home committee has requested Newsom to offer data associated to anti-fraud practices, audits, Medicare billing and different data by April 6.
The California Publish reached out to the committee for response to RFK Jr.’s feedback.
