FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 18, 2026

Contact: Austin Gilbert

Email: austin.gilbert@asm.ca.gov

 


CA Dept. of Public Health Demands Emergency Action to Combat Hospice Fraud


 

(Clovis, CA) – The California Department of Public Health has recently introduced emergency regulations for hospice agencies following years of documented concerns about fraud, abuse, and weak oversight within California's hospice licensing system. These regulations stem from findings by the California State Auditor and are intended to address serious deficiencies that have allowed fraudulent operators to exploit vulnerable patients and taxpayer-funded healthcare programs. The Department has determined that immediate action is necessary to strengthen licensing standards, improve accountability, and prevent bad actors from entering the hospice industry.

 

CDPH itself warned that, "If emergency regulations are not adopted immediately, the Department will not have the robust regulatory requirements needed to protect the health and safety of hospice patients and to enhance its ongoing efforts to address the indicators of fraud and abuse identified in the Audit Report." That is a remarkable admission from the agency responsible for oversight. These are not routine regulatory updates, rather emergency measures designed to give the state stronger tools to investigate bad actors, deny illegitimate license applications, and prevent fraud before it harms patients and taxpayers.

 

Perhaps most notable is that CDPH has formally declared a "factual emergency" exists within California's hospice oversight system. That determination should be a wake-up call for policymakers across the state. For the past year, Republicans in the Legislature have warned that weak oversight, fraudulent billing schemes, and regulatory failures were putting vulnerable patients and taxpayer dollars at risk. Now, the very agency charged with overseeing hospice care has acknowledged that immediate action is necessary to avoid serious harm to public health and safety. This is not a partisan talking point, it is an official finding by the Department itself, and it confirms the urgent need for stronger accountability and anti-fraud protections.

 

“The fact that emergency regulations are required should concern every Californian.” Said Assemblyman Tangipa. “This letter admits what the minority has been calling out all year long: there is rampant fraud in our system. While the majority ignored it and chastised those calling it out, the California Department of public health has admitted to what we all knew was happening. This declaration of a factual emergency is both a validation of those warnings and an indictment of a state government that has failed to provide the oversight Californians deserve. We support immediate emergency actions to combat fraud and protect vulnerable patients, but that alone is not enough. Californians deserve answers.

 

Assemblyman Tangipa continued, “Just this week, the Legislature passed massive tax increases and a budget funded by record revenues. Yet there has been little evidence that Sacramento is prepared to manage taxpayer dollars more responsibly. Before asking Californians to pay more, Sacramento should prove it can stop the fraud, waste, and abuse already occurring under its watch."

 

— Assemblyman David Tangipa https://sierrawave.net/ca-dept-of-public-health-demands-emergency-action-to-combat-hospice-fraud/