Trump administration fraud crackdown blocks new Medicaid enrollment for hospices, HHAs for 6 months

The Trump administration on Wednesday announced a nationwide freeze on new Medicare enrollment for hospices and home health agencies (HHA) for six months, as part of a crackdown on fraud. 

The measure will allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to halt the influx of new providers into categories that have been a key source of fraudulent activity.

“We’ve seen systemic and deeply troubling fraud in the hospice and home health space, with bad actors exploiting some of our most vulnerable Medicare patients and stealing money from the American taxpayer," CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement. 

During the freeze, CMS will escalate investigations and accelerate the removal of hospice and HHAs suspected of committing fraud. The nationwide block will prevent those defrauding the system from evading detection by moving across state lines.