Overview
- Independent journalist Nick Shirley posted a nearly 40‑minute video this week alleging more than $170 million in fraud across California hospices, daycares and home‑health services.
- Shirley’s reporting describes red‑flag patterns including empty or unstaffed facilities, luxury cars at low‑profile offices, and schemes that use Medicare beneficiary numbers to enroll people and bill the government.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s official press office responded on X with an AI image mocking Shirley and pointed to a 2021 moratorium on new hospice licenses.
- Democratic Sen. John Fetterman called the press office post “disgusting” and said fraud concerns should be addressed regardless of political affiliation.
- Prior and concurrent reporting underscores systemic risks, including a 2022 state audit citing a roughly 1,500% surge in Los Angeles County hospice agencies and a new CBS report visiting a Van Nuys building listed with dozens of hospices.