Lawmakers demand answers, recommendations to crack down on hospice fraud

U.S. Hospice fraud hearing exposes toll of suspected scams: "The American people are demanding answers" By Laura Geller Laura Geller National Investigative Producer Laura Geller is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist. She joined the CBS News Innovation Lab as a national investigative producer in September 2023. Read Full Bio Laura Geller Updated on: April 21, 2026 / 5:15 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Lawmakers are demanding answers and looking for recommendations on how to crack down on hospice fraud, a problem costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.At a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, representatives on both sides of the aisle agreed they need more accountability to protect the Medicare hospice programs, which have been raided by fraudulent operators who often use fake or stolen names to bill for end-of-life care."We are holding this hearing because the American people are demanding answers about the theft of their tax dollars and their Medicare benefits. To the fraudsters: your time operating in the dark is way over," House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, a Republican from Missouri, said.Tuesday's four-hour hearing came after a CBS News investigation uncovered widespread signs of potential fraud across Los Angeles County and tracked a doctor whose Medicare reimbursement claims were spread over 126 hospice providers. One witness who testified at the hearing, Dr. Lynn Ianni, described how she became a victim of hospice fraud after her Medicare number was stolen and used to enroll in hospice care she did not need. Ianni discovered her identity had been stolen when she sought treatment for a pickleball injury."My message is simply because you here have the capacity and the ability, I would like to entrust you with a responsibility as well, to take action by working together to solve this problem," Ianni said. Medicare fraud has become a hot political topic, with Republicans and Democrats each blaming the other...