Fraudulent operators’ marketing strategies are morphing the competitive landscape, making it difficult for legitimate hospice providers to maintain visibility among patients and families. A mounting concern is that fraudsters stepping into the hospice industry have been implementing marketing and outreach practices that at times mirror strategies utilized by quality providers, according to Jeanne Chirico, president […]
Category: Fraud, Waste & Abuse
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is expanding its enhanced oversight for new hospices in fraud-ridden states, including California, Nevada, Arizona and Texas. The agency in July 2023 first announced a “provisional period of enhanced oversight” for new hospices in those states. A key component of the enhanced oversight includes a medical […]
A federal court has sentenced Dr. John Thropay, a former medical director for several hospice companies, to 37 months in prison for his involvement in a $2.8 million hospice fraud scheme. Among the companies for which Thropay worked was Blue Sky Hospice, located in Van Nuys, California. Between 2014 and 2016, he allegedly certified patients […]
Fraudulent hospices in California reportedly have been targeting homeless people and methadone patients, promising them a steady supply of opioids in exchange for enrolling in hospice. Three hospice leaders came forward to Hospice News to report these practices. According to their reports, unscrupulous providers have canvassed both homeless encampments and methadone clinics seeking to sign […]