Hospice and home health agencies around the High Desert have become a priority target for fraud enforcement. The model of care — long care episodes, per-diem payments, certifications, and layered referral chains — creates documentation obligations that prosecutors scrutinize line by line. My Rights Law Criminal Defense and DUI Lawyers defends Victorville hospice and home health agencies, their owners, administrators, nurses, and marketers against fraud investigations and charges. This page explains where these cases come from and how they are defended.
Almost every hospice or home health fraud case is built on three documents: the certification, the plan of care, and the visit note. The Justice Department’s nationwide hospice fraud initiatives focus on patients who were not terminal, services that were never delivered, and care plans driven by census rather than need. In California, state prosecutors add Penal Code section 550 charges for Medi-Cal claims, and Welfare and Institutions Code section 14107 addresses fraudulent Medi-Cal claims specifically.
Most agencies can explain some of these on paper. The danger is the pattern view: across hundreds of charts, staffing gaps and documentation shortcuts start to look like a system rather than a shortage.
Hospice and home health census depends on referrals — from hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, physicians, and marketers. When compensation, gifts, bonuses, or free staffing flows back to referral sources, federal prosecutors charge kickback violations even where everyone calls it marketing. The safe-harbor regulations are technical, and arrangements that seemed standard for years can fall outside them. Reviewing referral compensation before an investigation is vastly cheaper than defending it after.
State charges from these investigations are filed at the San Bernardino County Superior Court’s Victorville District at 14455 Civic Drive. Federal cases go to the Central District of California. Parallel licensing and Medicare/Medi-Cal termination proceedings frequently move faster than the criminal case — they need their own response track.
Get help now for your Victorville hospice or home health case.
No. Review continues quietly, and agents often interview employees and referral sources before anyone is told they are a target. Early representation can clarify status and sometimes present the defense view before charging decisions are locked in.
Usually yes, unless payment is suspended or the license is acted on — which is why those parallel tracks need immediate attention. Counsel can negotiate scope with DHCS and CMS contractors while the criminal file is pending.
No. Compensation that is fair market value for actual services, structured to fit regulatory safe harbors, is lawful. The danger is pay that varies with referral volume or value.
This page is legal information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and enforcement priorities change, and outcomes depend on the facts of each case.
Victorville office: My Rights Law Criminal Defense and DUI Lawyers - Victorville, 14318 California Ave Ste 202, Victorville, CA 92392. Call 888-702-8882 for a free confidential consultation.
This page was written by the My Rights Law Editorial Team and reviewed for legal accuracy by Bobby Shamuilian.
Attorney Shamuilian is the founder and managing partner of My Rights Law and is widely recognized as a legal authority, frequently appearing as a legal analyst and TV pundit on national news outlets.
He has earned a perfect “10.0 – Top Attorney” rating on AVVO and a “10.0” rating on Justia, and has been named among the “Top 40 Under 40” and the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” by The National Trial Lawyers.
With his proven expertise and dedication, Mr. Shamuilian is committed to protecting your rights and achieving the best possible outcome for your case.
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