Vance's anti-fraud task force suspends licenses for 221 California hospices, health care providers

In the latest wave of crackdowns from the anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance, 221 hospice and healthcare providers in California have been suspended. The number of suspensions is expected to increase in the coming weeks.

Per Fox News, multiple providers were raided by authorities on Thursday morning. The wave of suspensions is a more than 215 percent increase from the 70 suspensions issued in Los Angeles last week as a result of the task force. 

A spokesperson for Vance said, "The Administration's War on Fraud once again yields results as more suspensions take place and fraudsters face justice for ripping off hard-working Americans and stealing their tax dollars and social services. The Vice President and his task force are proud of these latest figures and expect to see this number continue to grow dramatically."

A senior Trump administration official said the number of suspensions is expected to increase. "We expect this number to grow much, much higher in the coming weeks," they said. 

As part of the Thursday morning raids by federal officials, a couple was arrested in their California home by an FBI SWAT team, the California Post reported. Amelou Gill and Gladwin Gill, a married couple, operate St. Francis Palliative Care in Anaheim. 

Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was present for the raid, said the couple created a hospice in their daughter’s name and stole millions from taxpayers. CMS said that the hospice had a mortality rate of just 2.3 percent over the last five years. They are accused of submitting over $5.2 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for unnecessary hospice services or services that were not provided, receiving $4 million, which was laundered, the DOJ said. 

The Gills were two of more than a dozen people facing charges from the Department of Justice, which were announced on Thursday. Eight defendants were arrested on Thursday morning, including the Gills. The defendants are accused of defrauding the federal healthcare system out of over $50 million. Among the charges the defendants face are healthcare fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud.