Supervisors Horvath and Barger Move to Combat Home Health and Hospice Fraud
Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath (D-West Side/San Fernando Valley/Santa Monica Mountains) and Supervisor Kathryn Barger (R-Santa Clarita Valley/Antelope Valley/San Gabriel Valley) advanced a motion before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors this week to strengthen oversight and enforcement against fraud in the home health and hospice industry.
The motion comes amid a rise in fraudulent practices by some providers, including billing for care not delivered and enrolling patients using stolen identities. More than 4,700 home health and hospice agencies are currently operating in Los Angeles County alone.
The motion directs the Department of Public Health to report back with recommendations to improve coordination between local, state, and federal agencies in investigating and enforcing fraud cases. It also calls on the County to urge the state and federal government to strengthen oversight and increase enforcement efforts against accrediting organizations responsible for monitoring the majority of providers — many of which currently operate under a federal “deemed status” that allows private accreditors, rather than government agencies, to conduct compliance reviews.
“Fraud in home health and hospice care is not just a financial crime — it is a direct threat to the health and safety of some of our most vulnerable residents,” Horvath said. “Los Angeles County is doing our part and will not allow bad actors to exploit gaps in oversight while patients and families are put at risk.”
Barger called fraud in the industry “a profound betrayal” of patients’ trust. “We must work toward stronger coordination and accountability at every level of government to protect the patients and families who depend on these critical services,” she said.
Valladares Illegal Dumping Bill Clears Senate Committee With Unanimous Bipartisan Vote
Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita/Lancaster/Palmdale) scored a bipartisan win this week as her bill to crack down on illegal dumping advanced out of the Senate Public Safety Committee without a single dissenting vote.
SB 1230 would update fine structures that have not kept pace with the true cost of cleanup and environmental damage, and would designate the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) as the state’s lead resource hub — giving cities and counties centralized access to enforcement tools, funding opportunities and best practices.
“Illegal dumping harms our environment, threatens public health, and drains local resources,” Valladares said. “It’s time to empower local leaders to hold offenders accountable and keep neighborhoods clean.”
The bill is part of Valladares’ Public Safety Legislative Package and now moves to the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.
Friedman Joins Shadow Hearing on Election Security and Voting Rights
U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale/Burbank/La Cañada Flintridge) joined a shadow field hearing on protecting American democracy Monday at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles.
The hearing, organized by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar and House Administration Committee Ranking Member Joseph D. Morelle, received testimony from election security experts on threats to voting rights and democratic institutions ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Also participating from Los Angeles County’s congressional delegation were U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Inglewood/Hawthorne/Gardena), U.S. Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Whittier/Norwalk/La Mirada), U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena/Monterey Park/Alhambra), U.S. Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-San Pedro/Carson/Compton), U.S. Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-Covina/West Covina/Azusa) and U.S. Rep. Luz Rivas (D-Arleta/Pacoima/Sunland-Tujunga).
“While our election security infrastructure is being dismantled, this administration is simultaneously making it harder for eligible Americans to vote,” Friedman said. “We held this hearing in the Democracy Forum, inside a museum that tells the story of Americans who had their rights stripped away by their own government. That history is a warning. Democracy has to be defended, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.”
Lieu, House Veterans Caucus Blast Trump’s ‘Whole Civilization’ Threat
U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Santa Monica/Redondo Beach/Palos Verdes), an Air Force veteran, joined fellow members of the House Democratic Veterans Caucus on Monday in condemning remarks made by President Trump in which he threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight.”
“Words matter in times of peace, but especially in times of war,” the caucus said in a joint statement. “What Trump threatened this morning cannot be ignored, rationalized, or dismissed. It is not ‘strategic posturing’ to threaten to annihilate an entire people.”
The caucus called on Congress to return to Washington immediately, saying the threat represented potential grounds for war crimes. “Any elected official cheering on this rhetoric, rationalizing it as tough talk, and failing to acknowledge the gravity of what the president is threatening is simply unfit,” the statement read.
