Sacramento, CA– The California Department of Public Health(CDPH) has adopted emergency regulations for hospice agencies following concerns about fraud, abuse, and oversight deficiencies within the state’s hospice licensing system.
The regulations were developed in response to findings by the California State Auditor and are intended to strengthen licensing standards, increase accountability, and prevent fraudulent operators from obtaining hospice licenses, according to the department. In its emergency rulemaking documents, CDPH said immediate action is needed to address weaknesses identified in the state’s oversight process. The agency said the regulations will provide additional tools to investigate applicants, deny licenses when appropriate, and address potential fraud before it affects patients or public healthcare programs. As part of the rulemaking process, CDPH determined that a “factual emergency” exists within California’s hospice oversight system, citing concerns raised in the auditor’s report and the need for immediate regulatory action.
Mother Lode Republican Assemblyman David Tangipa said the department’s action validates concerns that lawmakers have raised about hospice oversight and fraud.
“The fact that emergency regulations are required should concern every Californian,” Tangipa said in a statement. “This declaration of a factual emergency is both a validation of those warnings and an indictment of a state government that has failed to provide the oversight Californians deserve.”
Tangipa said he supports the emergency regulations but called for additional scrutiny of state spending and oversight practices. Locally, Hospice of Amador and Calaveras reaffirmed their commitment to providing ethical and compassionate care amidst statewide fraud concerns. An article covering their statements from earlier in the year can be found here.
