Dr. Oz has accused California of widespread medical fraud, revealing that he found 42 hospices within a concentrated four-block area in Van Nuys.
In a video shared Tuesday, Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, drove through Van Nuys and highlighted a medical facility displaying Armenian text, which he claims is linked to a vast hospice and home health care fraud operation.
“There are 42 hospices in this four-block area of Los Angeles. So either a lot of people are dying, or there’s some extraordinary fraud happening that seems to attract everyone,” Dr. Oz stated.
In response, California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized Oz for portraying himself as a “fraud warrior,” disputing his assertion that Los Angeles County is the “health care fraud capital of America.”
“It’s quite something to see Dr. Oz pretending to be a scam hunter when, not long ago, he was busy marketing a ‘miracle’ supplement for sleeplessness,” Newsom’s office remarked in a social media update.
Earlier, Dr. Oz revealed that the Trump administration was intensifying its investigation into health care fraud in California, claiming that Russian and Armenian criminal networks were collaborating with physicians to secure Medicare numbers and enroll individuals in hospice care.
According to Dr. Oz, these criminals exploit the system by convincing or paying up to 100,000 people to surrender their beneficiary numbers, allowing them to control the organization unimpeded until law enforcement intervenes.
However, since his announcement on January 9, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have not provided any new details about ongoing investigations, only referencing existing fraud cases that have gone to trial.
Newsom rejected any claims of widespread fraud and emphasized his efforts to eliminate new hospices while revoking over 280 licenses in 2022 to address fraud and misuse in the sector.
He and Dr. Oz have been exchanging barbs in recent days. On Wednesday, Newsom stated he was looking into allegations that Oz had been profiling Armenian-owned businesses inappropriately.
“Our office is investigating reports that Dr. Mehmet Oz has targeted the Armenian American community in Southern California with unfounded allegations concerning fraud at Armenian-owned establishments, including a well-known bakery,” Newsom’s office announced on social media.
Interestingly, there was an implication in this statement that Oz’s Turkish background might influence his identification of these facilities as part of the fraud scheme.
“We take these allegations seriously, especially given historical sensitivities. California will not tolerate hateful actions of any kind,” the governor’s office stated.
Dr. Oz has claimed that fraudsters have stolen $3.5 billion from taxpayers through hospice and home care scams, pledging that the Trump administration “won’t allow this to continue.”
