By Jim Mishler | Monday, March 30, 2026, 9:47 PM EDT
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., stated his committee is investigating widespread hospice fraud in California.
Comer noted that hospice programs are universally supported but this support has enabled criminals to divert billions through fraudulent claims. “Everyone uses hospice during their deepest, darkest times,” he said. “It’s sickening to taxpayers to find out that billions in fraud have occurred within the California hospice program.”
The committee chair revealed Los Angeles County alone accounts for 18% of national hospice spending. He explained that setting up a fraud scheme is remarkably easy: “There were no guardrails. You and I could form an LLC today, buy a post office box, get licensed within 24 hours in California, and start billing hospice for fake patients.”
Comer accused California Governor Gavin Newsom of being aware of the issue for four years without action. “He has come in and said we will put guardrails in place. But he’s known about this problem for four years and hasn’t done anything.”
The committee chief cited recent Department of Justice prosecutions in Minnesota as evidence that accountability is possible, adding his team is working with federal authorities and Vice President JD Vance—who leads a national fraud task force—to address the crisis.
