CARSON, Calif. – Authorities on Wednesday arrested at least two suspects in connection with a suspected illegal elder care network in Carson, FOX News confirms.
What we know:
According to investigators, the major raid involved the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and federal partners.
Seven elderly patients rescued from four homes were found severely malnourished, neglected, and had been denied necessary medical treatment, officials said.
Sources indicate the staff at these facilities were not professional medical providers but were instead impostors without any proper license or training.
A nonprofit, California Health Advocates, says it is seeing reports of hospice frauds at an alarming rate across the region. The organization reports the state has revoked over 280 hospice licenses in the last two years.
What we don’t know:
The identities of the two suspects have not been released.Â
It’s unclear how long the unlicensed facilities were operating before the raid, or how many other patients may have passed through the homes previously.
The specific charges the suspects will face are unknown.Â
What’s next:
The four hospitalized patients will undergo medical evaluations and recovery, while the remaining three rescued residents are being placed in licensed care facilities.
The District Attorney’s office is expected to review the case for formal charges once the Sheriff’s Department and federal investigators complete their sweep of the four properties.
Big picture view:
FOX 11 spoke with California Health Advocates in the wake of the Carson raid. Executive Director of California Health Advocates Catherina Isidro warns these raids could be the tip of the iceberg.Â
She explains elderly people are invited to free lunches and offered gifts in exchange for signing these so-called acceptance forms, which could really be authorization to bill Medicare for services like hospice.
“One person could be enrolled into four or five different hospices without even knowing about it,” Isidro said.
Below are some of the red flags to watch out for:
Anyone, including hospice companies offering free services or gifts — including meals, housekeeping, cooking or grocery delivery.If you are asked to sign “acceptance forms” for gifts, often these are hospice acceptance forms that allow someone to charge Medicare for hospice or other services, even if the person knows nothing about it.Unsolicited visits or calls from hospice providers; they are usually scams.Enrollment in “palliative” care, which often turns out to be hospice, which requires a terminal prognosis.
Those looking to get more information can click here. Viewers can also call the California Senior Medicare Patrol number at 1-855-613-7080 to report any issues and possible fraud cases.
The Source: This report is based on confirmation from FOX News and statements provided by the Sheriff’s Department regarding the ongoing multi-agency operation.