The hospice doctor linked to $71.7M worth of Medicare claims in 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0s2P25UBso

A CBS News investigation says the hospice doctor was Dr. Rajiv Bhuva, whose name was tied to nearly 2,800 Medicare patients’ claims across 126 California hospices in 2024, totaling $71.7 million. The report describes California’s hospice industry as especially vulnerable to fraud, with the doctor’s unusually high volume of claims standing out as a major red flag.

What the report found

CBS said its data review linked Bhuva to claims from dozens of hospices, suggesting a pattern that investigators say deserves scrutiny. The coverage does not by itself prove wrongdoing, but it highlights how a single physician can be associated with a very large amount of Medicare billing in hospice care.

Why it matters

Hospice eligibility requires a doctor to certify that a patient is terminally ill and has six months or less to live, so the physician’s role is central to payment and oversight. That is why an unusually high claim total can raise questions about whether the system is being used properly.