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Oz confirms doctor’s Medicare billing revoked amid LA hospice fraud concerns

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As allegations of widespread nursing home fraud continue to intensify in Los Angeles County, a doctor faces scrutiny after being linked to Medicare claims for thousands of patients at dozens of nursing homes.

According to CBS News, citing the last full year of available data, Dr. Rajiv Bhuva was linked to Medicare claims for approximately 2,800 patients at 126 nursing homes in California in 2024. According to CBS News, Bhuva has ties to more nursing homes than any other doctor, and 115 of the 126 nursing home companies the allegations link him to are in L.A. County.

CBS News He spent weeks investigating allegations of widespread nursing home fraud in Los Angeles County. It found that 742 of nearly 1,800 nursing homes in L.A. County showed more than one red flag for fraud as defined by the state of California.

While the average hospice doctor in California sees about 140 patients a year, Bhuva’s numbers far exceed that number; CBS News found that 2,791 claims were filed for terminally ill patients in 2024 with his name on them.

HOUSE COMMITTEE STARTS INVESTIGATION INTO ‘WIDESPREAD’ CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL FRAUD

A room is shown at the long-term care facility at Valley Health Hampshire Memorial Hospital in Romney, West Virginia, on June 17, 2025 (Washington Post via Ricky Carioti/Getty Images)

The claims resulted in a $71.7 million reimbursement to Medicare, according to CBS News. The publication noted that only one California doctor received more Medicare reimbursements than Bhuva: Dr. Dr., whose reimbursements totaled $90.3 million. Domingo Barrientos. In 2024, Barrientos was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and is currently in federal prison.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet OzMr. Trump, who has been outspoken about Medicare fraud in California, confirmed that Bhuva’s “authority to bill Medicare was revoked last March.”

“I call out to all the fraudsters who steal from our elderly: do not run, do not walk. Because we are coming after you,” Öz wrote on social media.

Chief medical officer of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Kristina Newport told CBS News that Bhuva “will have a superhuman schedule” to work “meaningfully” with the number of patients she connects with.

Bhuva has not been charged with a crime, but the number of allegations tied to his name, involving thousands of patients and more than 120 nursing homes, has raised suspicion.

Stock photo of a Hospice Nurse visiting an elderly patient receiving hospice/palliative care. (iStock)

VANCE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE HAS HAD 221 CALIFORNIA HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SO FAR

in 2022 California state auditors He warned that working for more than three hospice providers at a time would be an indication of fraud.

“This pattern of individual administrators allegedly working for multiple hospice agencies raises questions about whether they actually participate in the activities of any or all of these agencies,” the auditor’s report said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office responded to a clip of CBS News’ reporting by saying it was a federal issue rather than a state issue.

“FACT: The government has no role in the Medicare billing or payment process. We are glad the Trump Administrator is taking action to combat fraud. Now, if Trump could stop pardoning fraudsters and hold them accountable, that would be great!” Newsom’s press office He wrote to X.

Although the state does not process Medicare payments, it licenses hospice providers, effectively determining which organizations can enroll in the federal program and bill taxpayers. State auditors have previously warned that California’s “weak controls create the opportunity for large-scale fraud and abuse.”

Recently, Fox News Digital learned that the anti-fraud team led by Executive Vice President J.D. Vance suspended 221 providers in Los Angeles due to suspected fraud. This included some providers raided by federal authorities.

“The Administration’s War on Fraud is once again paying off as more removals occur and scammers face justice for defrauding hard-working Americans and stealing their tax dollars and social services,” a Vance spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The Vice President and the task force are proud of these latest numbers and expect this number to continue to rise dramatically.”