Nearly 20% of US Home Health Care Billing Comes From LA County, Sparking Fraud Probes

Officials say nearly one-fifth of U.S. home health care billing originates in Los Angeles County, prompting investigations into hospice licensing and unusually high Medicare claims.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Federal health officials under the Trump administration are focusing renewed attention on Los Angeles County following reports that a disproportionate share of U.S. home health care and hospice billing is originating from the region, raising concerns about potential fraud and abuse within the Medicare system.

According to information cited by FOX News, a single Los Angeles–area physician billed the federal government approximately $120 million in one year, claiming responsibility for overseeing roughly 1,900 patients during that period. The figures have drawn scrutiny from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, now led by Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Data cited in the report indicate that about 18 percent of all home health care billing nationwide is coming from Los Angeles County alone. Officials also noted that the county has nearly 2,000 registered hospice agencies—more than the combined total of 36 U.S. states and significantly more than states such as Florida and New York.

Dr. Oz said the concentration of hospice providers highlights weaknesses in the licensing and oversight process. He described how hospice agencies can be established in the area with minimal physical presence, allowing operators to obtain licenses through paperwork alone.

“How is that possible?” Oz said while discussing a map showing hundreds of hospice providers clustered within a small geographic area. He described locations ranging from strip malls to vacant lots and said the licensing process does not require applicants to live locally, adding that the paperwork could be completed from outside the United States.

Details of the billing patterns and hospice concentration were highlighted in a post shared by Wall Street Apes, which summarized the scale of home health billing attributed to Los Angeles County and the single physician’s reported claims.

Federal officials have not publicly identified the physician involved or announced formal charges, but the figures have intensified calls for closer review of hospice licensing practices, provider verification, and billing oversight in California. CMS officials said the agency is continuing to examine billing data and regulatory gaps to determine whether additional enforcement or policy changes are warranted.