House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said his committee is focusing its investigation on alleged large-scale hospice fraud in California following a state audit that identified billions in questionable spending.
During a televised exchange, Sandra Smith introduced the issue by pointing to the scope of the allegations, stating, “California focusing on allegations of rampant hospice fraud, another wasteful spending on taxpayer dollars.”
Smith then asked Comer about the direction of the investigation, saying, “Let’s bring in our House Oversight Committee Chairman, James Comer, welcome to you, Mr. Chairman. So where is your energy focused here?”
Comer responded by outlining the committee’s current priorities, saying, “We’re focused solely on hospice fraud in California, specifically in Los Angeles County.”
He referenced the findings of a recent audit, stating, “A state audit just came out and confirmed that there’s at least three and a half billion dollars, billion dollars in hospice fraud, primarily in one county, Los Angeles County, in California.”
Comer emphasized the scale of the alleged fraud relative to federal spending, saying, “That three and a half billion dollar price tag represents over 10% of the total bill for the federal government, for hospice in all 50 states, in every city and every state in America.”
He said the audit raised clear concerns about systemic issues, stating, “So the red flags are there that there was rampant fraud.”
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