Republicans from the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means sent a letter Jan. 9 to the HHS Office of Inspector General over concerns of Medicare fraud in California.
The letter focused on home health agencies and hospices, particularly in Los Angeles County.
“The illegal actions by a few impact patient care and public trust across the entire sector,” the letter said. “Fraudulent actors in the system not only waste scarce federal resources, but they also jeopardize patient care and tarnish the reputation of good actors. Most concerning, fraudsters often embroil seniors in their illegal schemes, leading to inappropriate or nonexistent care for patients who need it the most.”
The lawmakers said home health agencies were on the rise in Los Angeles County while dropping nationally, and there was a 1,589% increase in hospice agencies since 2010. The letter also highlighted a few examples of potentially fraudulent activity, such as a previous complaint of unqualified patients being enrolled in hospice or billed for services inappropriately.
The authors said the HHS OIG could “examine” these issues and assist with enforcement, requesting a meeting by Jan. 23 to further discuss concerns and next steps.
