California unveils hospice fraud arrests, pushing back on ‘kingdom of fraud’ claim by Trump official | CNN

California officials announced Thursday the dismantling of a “massive hospice fraud scheme” they say defrauded the state of more than $267 million in funding meant to provide end-of-life care to ailing residents. More than 20 people have been charged in the takedown – dubbed “Operation Skip Trace” – and five have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a sprawling network of shell companies that schemed, stole and laundered over a quarter of a billion dollars from the state, officials said at a news conference in Los Angeles Thursday. “Let this be a lesson to anyone targeting Medi-Cal and hospice care in California – we are on the case, and we’re coming for you,” Rob Bonta, the state’s attorney general, said. Medi-Cal is the state’s Medicaid health care program. “California has a no-tolerance policy for fraud.” It comes on the heels of federal officials’ announcement last week that eight individuals in the Los Angeles area were arrested in a $50 million hospice fraud operation. President Donald Trump has made combatting fraud a central part of his second term, with a particular focus on rooting out the problem in Democrat-led states, such as Min