03/03/2026

Federal Fraud Initiative Escalates: What Ohio Hospice & Home Health Providers Should Know

On February 25, Vice President JD Vance and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz announced new federal actions aimed at strengthening Medicare and Medicaid fraud oversight. The Vice President has been formally tasked with leading the Administration’s federal “war on fraud,” signaling continued and coordinated enforcement activity across programs.

CMS also announced it is withholding $259.5 million in federal Medicaid funds from Minnesota following a recent spending review, reinforcing the agency’s willingness to use financial enforcement tools.

These actions reinforce a clear federal direction: program integrity remains a top priority.

LeadingAge has recently engaged directly with CMS leadership regarding fraud oversight in hospice and home health and is actively tracking related policy developments across the continuum. 

This aligns with what Ohio providers are already seeing: heightened focus on claims patterns, eligibility, certifications, and documentation accuracy. Ohio is already one of six states under expanded hospice oversight, including:

• Provisional Period of Enhanced Oversight (PPEO) for new hospices
• Expanded Prepayment Review (EPR) for existing hospices

What to do:

• Review admission and recertification documentation for clear support of terminal prognosis.
• Ensure physician narratives and face-to-face documentation stand on their own.
• Confirm audit response processes are clearly defined, timely, and organized.

As oversight activity continues, strong documentation and internal audit readiness remain your best protection.