2026年3月23日 / 美国东部时间下午5:13 / CBS新闻
众议院共和党人周一宣布，国会将对”猖獗的临终关怀机构欺诈”展开调查，指控南加州多家公司可能存在不当付款，导致数千万美元的纳税人资金损失。
由共和党领导的众议院监督委员会（有权进行调查）已致函加州民主党州长加文·纽森（Gavin Newsom），要求提供与该州”监督和内部控制以发现和防止联邦资助的临终关怀项目欺诈”相关的文件。
“最近的报道揭示了加州临终关怀项目中令人震惊的欺诈活动证据，包括机构向医疗保险（Medicare）超额收费，以及未经受益人知情的欺诈性登记，”委员会成员在信中写道，引用了最近的CBS新闻调查结果。
CBS新闻的报道审查了洛杉矶县目前所有运营中的临终关怀机构的商业和财务记录，寻找2022年州审计确定的潜在欺诈指标。
CBS新闻分析显示，在洛杉矶县约1,800家临终关怀机构中，超过700家触发了州定义的多项欺诈红色预警信号。
“委员会关切的是，您的政府没有足够的内部控制来预防和发现欺诈行为，也没有对这些临终关怀项目进行适当监督，”致纽森的信中指出，”因此，全国各地的美国人正在为加州猖獗的临终关怀欺诈买单，弱势患者正被剥削。”
纽森的发言人在一份声明中写道：”加州多年前就对临终关怀欺诈采取了果断行动。2021年，州长加文·纽森签署立法，暂停新的临终关怀机构执照发放——这一政策至今有效，防止不良分子进入该系统，同时加强对现有服务提供者的监督。”
民主党人表示，共和党控制的国会发起调查可能是为了转移对其他紧迫挑战的注意力。
“许多选民不断被共和党人的这些政治作秀所轰炸，”前佛罗里达州民主党国会议员、乔治·华盛顿大学政治管理研究生院执行主任黛比·穆卡塞尔-鲍威尔（Debbie Mucarsel-Powell）说。
“事实是，对大多数美国人来说，生活成本持续上升，而此刻他们没有从两党中看到任何缓解措施。”她补充道。
共和党民选官员和大批社交媒体影响者将欺诈问题视为具有政治影响力的议题——指责民主党州行政官员未能阻止代价高昂的计划，明尼苏达州的”为未来提供食物”疫情救济欺诈案尤为突出，该欺诈案导致纳税人损失数亿美元。明尼苏达州民主党州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹（Tim Walz）1月份宣布不再寻求连任，部分原因是该丑闻的后续影响。
加州调查的党派性质在众议院委员会信件的签名行上得到了体现——只有共和党成员签署了这封信。
这封关于临终关怀欺诈的信件由包括众议院监督委员会主席詹姆斯·科默（R-KY）在内的共和党人签署，照片拍摄于2026年3月18日。Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images
临终关怀欺诈仍是全国性问题。医疗保险是为老年人和残疾人提供的由纳税人资助的医疗保健项目，包括对绝症患者的临终关怀服务。美国人通过工资税和保险费缴纳医疗保险费用。当医疗保险出现欺诈时，被盗的是纳税人的钱。
美国卫生与公众服务部监察长办公室2023年报告称，涉嫌临终关怀欺诈总额估计达1.981亿美元。这在南加州尤为严重。
全国范围内，每家临终关怀机构平均向每位患者收取的医疗保险费用为13,200美元。CBS新闻发现，洛杉矶县的典型临终关怀机构向每位患者收取的医疗保险费用约为29,000美元——是全国平均水平的两倍多。该县单家临终关怀机构的最高收费为每位患者74,000美元。
在有可用医疗保险数据的洛杉矶县临终关怀机构中，CBS新闻发现几乎所有机构提交的账单都高于全国平均水平。
国会信件要求提供州长办公室与多个州机构（包括医疗保健服务部、公共卫生部、社会服务部以及加州司法部的医疗补助欺诈和老年人虐待部门）之间的文件和沟通。该信件要求提供2019年1月1日至今日的数据，截止日期为4月6日。
尽管医疗保险由联邦管理，但州政府负责发放临终关怀机构运营执照。该州暂停新临终关怀机构执照发放的禁令已延长至2027年1月，原因是该州未能在截止日期前颁布新的临终关怀机构紧急法规。公共卫生官员告诉CBS新闻，他们正在权衡公众反馈，以审查新申请者并追究临终关怀机构的责任。
纽森的发言人指出，州长成立了一个多机构临终关怀欺诈工作组。”这项工作正在取得成果，过去两年已有280多个临终关怀机构执照被吊销，另有300家服务提供者正在接受调查。该州继续采取协调行动，暂停医疗补助支付，吊销执照，并提起诉讼。”
CBS新闻询问医疗保险和医疗补助服务中心（CMS）管理员梅赫梅特·奥兹（Dr. Mehmet Oz），这项调查是否旨在针对纽森的政治野心。
“纽森州长不是目标。纽森州长是加利福尼亚州的州长，那里存在需要解决的欺诈流行病，而他多年来一直知晓这一问题，”奥兹回应道。
由共和党领导的委员会负责调查具有高公共利益的事务。该委员会最近宣布调查明尼苏达州社会服务项目中的欺诈指控。委员会还领导了对拜登家族私人商业交易的调查。
奥兹最近还致函佛罗里达州共和党州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯（Ron DeSantis），要求提供与打击医疗补助欺诈相关的文件，奥兹称该欺诈”失控”。
“佛罗里达多年来一直是医疗保健欺诈的热点地区。纳税人和弱势患者理应得到更好的服务——现在是州领导站出来与我们合作制止欺诈的时候了，”他补充道。
https://youtu.be/-SYxS_8TrUw?si=oq6A3ZskzXn-knNa
Congress launches investigation into California hospice fraud, citing millions in taxpayer losses
March 23, 2026 / 5:13 PM EDT / CBS News
House Republicans announced Monday that Congress will mount an investigation into “rampant hospice fraud,” alleging that potentially tens of millions in taxpayer funds may have been lost in improper payments to Southern California companies.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee, which has the authority to investigate, has sent a letter to California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, asking for documents related to the state’s “oversight and internal controls to detect and prevent fraud for its federally funded hospice programs.”
“Recent reporting has revealed alarming evidence of fraudulent activity in California’s hospice programs, including agencies overbilling Medicare and fraudulently enrolling beneficiaries without their knowledge,” committee members wrote, citing a recent CBS News investigation.
The CBS News report examined business and financial records of every hospice currently operating in Los Angeles County, looking for the warning signs that a 2022 state audit identified as potential indicators of fraud.
The CBS News analysis revealed that over 700 of the roughly 1,800 hospices in LA County triggered multiple red flags for fraud as defined by the state.
“The Committee is concerned your administration does not have sufficient internal controls to prevent and detect fraud and is not conducting proper oversight of these hospice programs,” the letter to Newsom states. “As a result, Americans across the country are paying for California’s rampant hospice fraud and vulnerable patients are being exploited.”
A spokesperson for Newsom wrote in a statement: “California took decisive action on hospice fraud years ago. In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation placing a moratorium on new hospice licenses — a policy that remains in effect today, preventing bad actors from entering the system while strengthening oversight of existing providers.”
Democrats said a move by the Republican-controlled Congress to investigate may represent an attempt to divert attention from other pressing challenges.
“Many voters are bombarded constantly with these political football games from Republicans,” said Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former Democratic member of Congress from Florida who now serves as executive director of George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.
“The reality is that for most Americans, the cost of living continues to go up, and they’re not seeing any sort of relief from either party at this moment.” she said.
Republican elected officials and an army of social media influencers have seized on the issue of fraud as politically potent — accusing Democratic state executives of failing to prevent costly schemes, most notably in Minnesota — where the Feeding Our Future pandemic relief scam cost taxpayers hundreds of millions. Minnesota’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, announced in January that he would no longer seek reelection amid fallout from that scandal.
The partisan nature of the California probe was evidenced on the signature line of the House committee’s letter — it is signed only by Republican members.
The letter on hospice fraud was signed by Republicans including House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), seen here on March 18, 2026. Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images
Hospice fraud remains a nationwide problem. Medicare is a taxpayer-funded health care program for the elderly and disabled that includes coverage of hospice care for terminally ill patients. Americans pay into Medicare through taxes on their paychecks and premiums. When there’s Medicare fraud, it’s tax dollars that are being stolen.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General reported in 2023 that suspected hospice fraud totaled an estimated $198.1 million. It has been an acute issue in Southern California.
Nationwide, the average amount a hospice bills Medicare per patient is $13,200. CBS News found the typical hospice in LA County billed Medicare roughly $29,000 per patient — more than double the national average. The highest rate billed by a single hospice in the county was $74,000 per patient.
Of the LA County hospices with available Medicare data, CBS News found nearly all of them submitted bills above the national average.
The congressional letter seeks documents and communications between the governor’s office and several state agencies, including the Department of Health Care Services, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Social Services and the California Department of Justice’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse. The letter requests information from Jan. 1, 2019 to today, with a deadline of April 6.
Though Medicare is federally administered, the state licenses hospices to be able to operate. A moratorium on issuing new hospice licenses in the state was recently extended through January 2027, because the state missed its deadline to enact new emergency regulations for hospices. Public health officials told CBS News they are balancing public feedback to vet new applicants and hold hospices accountable.
A spokesperson for Newsom pointed out the governor established a multi-agency hospice fraud task force. “This work is delivering results, as more than 280 hospice licenses have been revoked over the past two years and an additional 300 providers are under investigation. The state continues to take coordinated action to suspend Medi-Cal payments, revoke licenses, and pursue prosecutions,” she said.
CBS News asked Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, if the effort is intended to target Newsom because of his political ambitions.
“Governor Newsom is not a target. Governor Newsom is the governor of the state of California, where there is an epidemic of fraud that should be addressed and that he has known about for several years,” Oz responded.
The Republican-led committee is charged with launching investigations into matters of high public interest. It most recently announced a probe into the allegations of fraud in Minnesota’s social service programs. The committee also led an investigation into the private business dealings of the Biden family.
Oz recently also sent a letter to Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, asking for documentation related to efforts to stamp out Medicaid fraud that Oz characterized as “out of control.”
“Florida has been a hotspot for health care fraud for years. Taxpayers and vulnerable patients deserve better—and it’s time for state leadership to step up and work with us to stop it,” he added.
https://youtu.be/-SYxS_8TrUw?si=oq6A3ZskzXn-knNa
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