Our hospice was suspended or closed. What now?

What happened to hospices in Los Angeles in 2026?

Federal investigators focused on hospice fraud in Los Angeles County. On May 13, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said it had suspended payments to about 800 hospices and home health agencies in Los Angeles suspected of fraud. The same day it paused new Medicare enrollment of hospices and home health agencies nationwide for six months. CMS said the pause does not affect hospices already enrolled, and they can keep serving Medicare patients.

News reports gave different counts at different times. The numbers matter less than the question in front of you: is someone still caring for your family member this week?

Suspended, revoked or closed: what is the difference?

A payment suspension means Medicare is holding back payments while it investigates. It is not a finding of fraud, and the hospice still owes you care. A revocation or termination ends the hospice's Medicare participation. A closure means the hospice stops operating.

None of these takes away your hospice benefit. The benefit belongs to the patient, not to the hospice.

What should you do first?

Do these in order. Most families can finish the first three in an afternoon.

1. Step 1

   Call the hospice

   Ask: who is our nurse this week, when is the next visit, and who answers at night? Ask whether medicines and equipment will keep coming. Write down who you spoke to and when.

2. Step 2

   Check its status yourself

   Look up the hospice's state license in CDPH Cal Health Find (opens in a new tab) and its Medicare record in Care Compare (opens in a new tab). The steps are on how to verify a hospice, which also has a two-minute check for any California hospice.

3. Step 3

   Tell the person's own doctor

   The attending doctor can keep prescriptions going and can help with a new hospice. Hospice does not replace the doctor you already have.

4. Step 4

   If visits have stopped, choose a new hospice

   Call the hospice you want to move to and say the person is on hospice now and needs a transfer. Ask your questions first. Our list of questions to ask any hospice can help.

5. Step 5

   Sign a transfer, not a revocation

   A transfer keeps the hospice benefit and the current benefit period. You do not need the old hospice's permission or a reason. See below.

How do you change hospices without losing coverage?

By transfer. Under Medicare rules (42 CFR 418.30), a person may change hospices once in each benefit period. You or your representative sign a statement naming the old hospice, the new hospice and the date of the change. A transfer is not a revocation, so there is no gap and no new election. The full steps are on switching hospice providers.

Revocation is different. It stops the hospice benefit and returns the person to regular Medicare, and the rest of the benefit period is lost. Revoke only if the person no longer wants hospice, or if they were put on hospice without choosing it. Read can you leave hospice?.

If the old hospice cannot be reached, or you already changed hospices once in this benefit period, tell the new hospice. It can explain how the change is filed and when the next benefit period starts.

What if the hospice closed suddenly?

Call the people below, in this order, until someone takes responsibility for the next visit. If the person is in distress and no one answers, call 911.

Who to call when a hospice closes

If the person lives in a facility, tell the facility's staff the same day. They will need the new hospice's name and number.

What happens to medicines, equipment and records?

Medicines already in the home belong to the patient and stay. Count what is left of each comfort medicine and tell the new hospice nurse, so nothing runs out over a weekend.

Equipment such as a hospital bed, oxygen or a wheelchair is usually rented by the hospice from an equipment company. If the equipment company calls about pickup, ask it to wait until the new hospice's equipment arrives, and give it the new hospice's number. For oxygen, ask the new hospice to deliver its own supply first.

Records stay available. A hospice that closes must keep its clinical records and tell the state and CMS where they are stored (42 CFR 418.104). When a patient transfers, the old hospice sends the new one a discharge summary and, on request, the full record.

What are the signs a hospice is in trouble?

Any one of these is a reason to call the hospice and ask direct questions. Several together are a reason to look at other hospices now, not later.

• Visits are missed or cancelled, and no one calls to reschedule.
• No one answers the after-hours line, or a recording says to call back.
• Medicines or supplies are late, or the pharmacy says the hospice has not paid.
• The equipment company calls about unpaid rent or pickup.
• Staff say they have not been paid, or many staff leave at once.
• The office is closed during business hours, or the address is a mailbox.
• You receive a letter from Medicare or the state about the hospice.

What if you think the hospice was a fraud?

Some families learn that a parent was put on hospice without being terminally ill, or without ever choosing it. If that happened, the person can revoke the election in writing, and you can report it. Being on hospice changes what Medicare pays for, so call 1-800-MEDICARE right away. For suspected billing fraud, call the HHS Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477).

Read hospice fraud in California for the patterns and the red flags, and how to report a hospice for who handles what. You cannot be punished for complaining. See patient rights.

Common questions