Vance Task Force BUSTS $600M Medicare Theft

Vice President JD Vance’s task force just suspended 447 Los Angeles hospices over $600 million in Medicare theft—but what happens when state Democrats push bills shielding the fraudsters?

Story Snapshot

447 hospices and 23 home health agencies suspended in LA, up 539% from 70 in early April 2026.
Suspected fraud totals over $600 million, targeting taxpayers through fake end-of-life billing.
Federal “Operation Never Say Die” arrests doctors and nurses running phantom facilities.
California’s AB 2624 bill, dubbed “Nick Shirley Act,” draws fire for protecting suspect providers.
LA County hosts 1,800 hospices; CBS flags 700+ (39%) with fraud red flags like 85% patient survival rates.

Vance Task Force Escalates Suspensions to 447 Providers

JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force suspended 447 hospices and 23 home health agencies in Los Angeles mid-April 2026. Suspensions halted Medicare payments after detecting high-risk billing patterns. This action followed 70 initial suspensions early April, marking a 539% surge. The task force, empowered by presidential decree, audits providers, demands repayments, and bars them from federal programs. Fraudsters face debarment from Medicare and contracts. Los Angeles emerged as the epicenter, with concentrations like 42 licenses in Van Nuys’s four blocks.

Phantom Hospices Exploit Medicare with Fake Patients

Operators created “phantom” facilities billing Medicare for non-terminally ill patients. Schemes used license flipping, stolen identities from the dark web, and cash incentives like $300 monthly plus vitamins to enroll immigrants and non-residents. State audits flagged high survival rates—85% versus national averages—as key indicators. California DOJ’s “Operation Skip Trace” charged 21 suspects for $267 million Medi-Cal fraud across 14 fake hospices providing no services. Federal estimates hit $600 million stolen.

Operation Never Say Die Leads Arrests Across LA

Federal agents arrested suspects April 10, 2026, in “Operation Never Say Die.” Targets included Gladwin and Amelou Gill, who billed $5.2 million using their daughter’s name to dodge bans. Lolita Minerd ran an Anaheim hospice with 85% survival rates. Nita Palma operated three facilities from prison. Raids hit Covina, Anaheim, and Glendale. FBI and prosecutors charged conspiracy, fraud, and money laundering. White House warned fraudsters of relentless pursuit. State probes target 300 more for license revocation.

California Democrats’ AB 2624 Sparks Conservative Outrage

Assemblywoman Mia Bonta introduced AB 2624, protecting immigrant service providers’ privacy from exposure. Critics, including journalist Nick Shirley, label it a fraud shield that passed committee 11-2. Her husband, AG Rob Bonta, filed state charges yet ties to the bill fuel skepticism. Facts align with conservative values: taxpayer protection trumps privacy for criminals. Common sense demands transparency over shielding multimillion-dollar theft from vulnerable programs.

New: JD Vance Shuts Down 447 LA Hospices in $600M Fraud Crackdown https://t.co/GXiYPyMmS7

— mark harry (@mharry860) April 15, 2026

Impacts Hit Taxpayers, Patients, and National Trust

Suspensions disrupt legitimate patients’ care short-term while promising billions recovered long-term. Taxpayers lost $600 million diverted from real Medicare needs. LA immigrant communities faced enrollment targeting and data breaches. Eroded trust threatens end-of-life services nationwide. Broader effects include 39% of 1,800 LA hospices under scrutiny, modeling federal task forces elsewhere. State investigations continue, but federal overrides expose licensing flaws.