Seeking answers from California doctor linked to alarming number of hospice care claims

CBS News
April 7, 2026
2 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

CBS News is questioning a California hospice doctor for submitting an unusually high number of patient claims.

How This Affects You

Potential Medicare fraud can lead to higher healthcare costs and misuse of taxpayer funds, affecting all beneficiaries.

AI Summary

CBS News' Adam Yamaguchi is investigating a California hospice doctor who submitted claims for an unusually high number of patients. This doctor's claims covered more than 20 times the average number of patients seen by other California doctors in a year. The inquiry seeks to understand the discrepancy in patient claims and the practices of the hospice doctor. This investigation highlights concerns regarding the oversight and potential misuse of hospice care claims within the healthcare system.

What's Being Done

CBS News' Adam Yamaguchi is seeking answers from the doctor regarding the claims.

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Other Sources Covering This Story

3 sources

Multiple outlets have reported on this story. Compare perspectives from different sources.

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

CBS News tracks down doctor connected to hospices with indicators of potential fraud
Finance

CBS News tracks down doctor connected to hospices with indicators of potential fraud

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a widening federal crackdown on fraud on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Adam Yamaguchi tracked down a doctor whose practice raised multiple red flags.

CBS NewsApr 7
California 'architect' of 19th century native American genocide, 'US govt 'funded' most of killing'
Civil Rights

California 'architect' of 19th century native American genocide, 'US govt 'funded' most of killing'

Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome Benjamin Madley, History Professor at UCLA and author of 'An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe, 1846-1873'. Drawing upon years of archival research, his work challenges long-standing narratives that attribute this demographic collapse primarily to disease or displacement. He argues that what occurred meets the legal and historical criteria of genocide: a state-sponsored system of violence. Despite immense loss, California’s Indigenous peoples have endured, rebuilt, and continue to assert their sovereignty.

AFP / France 24Apr 7
‘A blatant political ploy’: California sheriff’s seizure of referendum ballots sets off alarm bells
Politics

‘A blatant political ploy’: California sheriff’s seizure of referendum ballots sets off alarm bells

<p>Chad Bianco of Riverside county obtained warrants to seize ballots cast for state’s successful redistricting referendum</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox</a></p></li></ul><p>A California sheriff’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/23/california-sheriff-election-ballots-seized">decision to seize about 650,000 ballots</a> based on specious allegations of fraud has raised considerable alarm bells that similar efforts to undermine confidence in the electoral system could materialize this fall.</p><p>The episode underscores how sheriffs and other officials can transform shoddy claims about voter fraud into law enforcement actions. Executi...

The Guardian US NewsApr 7
Venezuelan Doctor Detained in Texas After Losing Job to Visa Freeze
Politics

Venezuelan Doctor Detained in Texas After Losing Job to Visa Freeze

The Venezuelan doctor, who was forced out of his hospital job by a federal visa pause, was detained by Border Patrol on Monday.

New York TimesApr 7
Immigrants seeking asylum are ordered to countries they've never been to, but end up stuck in limbo - AP News
Civil Rights

Immigrants seeking asylum are ordered to countries they've never been to, but end up stuck in limbo - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxONUM3TkF5WGpsUFdSTk9FVC1uWXo4OGV6dlRwS1oyd1Ridkp3cy1Lak8yN1c0N3lEUjgwNmUteWRqbHJwT2xUVXNLSnlBRHdjdnVWcFdvQnpIYXJ2Ymx1cWFwZllTMERuWGJ0V1ZIeUowVmFrVDE5VTM0YjdiNEJqd191aG1wYXBsbWlzbUE3Vl9BZW8?oc=5" target="_blank">Immigrants seeking asylum are ordered to countries they've never been to, but end up stuck in limbo</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsApr 2
California cements its role as the national testing ground for AI rules
Technology

California cements its role as the national testing ground for AI rules

<p>To see where tech policy is going in the U.S., look west: California is escalating its push to regulate <a href="https://www.axios.com/technology/automation-and-ai" target="_blank">AI</a> across multiple fronts.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> California's multi-pronged approach makes it likely that AI companies in the U.S. will treat the state's rules as a de facto national standard, even as the White House <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/20/white-house-ai-plan-trump-framework" target="_blank">moves</a> to rein in state regulation.</p><hr><ul><li>It follows a familiar pattern: California acts first, companies adapt to keep doing business there and Congress dithers, eventually ceding its role to states due to gridlock.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/03/30/as-trump-rolls-back-protections-governor-newsom-signs-first-of-its-kind-executive-order-to-strengthen-ai-protections-and-responsible-...

AxiosApr 3
Read Next
One hospice doctor. One year. $71 million worth of Medicare claims.
Finance

One hospice doctor. One year. $71 million worth of Medicare claims.

A CBS News Investigation into hospices found an industry ripe for fraud, especially in California. A Los Angeles County hospice physician's name, Dr. Rajiv Bhuva, was tied to nearly 2,800 Medicare patients' claims across 126 California hospices in 2024, according to data we analyzed.

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources