Hospice fraud victimizes seniors, but Gavin Newsom’s no help

California hospice fraud is not just fleecing taxpayers.

It’s stealing the health of senior citizens.

Which raises a question: Which group did Sacramento recently act to protect?

The seniors? Or the fraudsters?

Consider the plight of Linda Henry, 71, of Long Beach. 

As The California Post and other media recently reported, fraudsters enrolled her in hospice care without her knowledge, effectively cutting off her Medicare coverage: Why cover, say, allergy testing for a person on the brink of death?

The mess took months to sort out before Medicare conceded the senior had been victimized. 

Henry’s experience underscores that hospice fraud is not a remote, abstract or victimless crime.

It hurts countless victims like her, all part of a California fraud albatross the feds estimate at $3.5 billion in LA County alone.

Those billions were collected from hard-working taxpayers –– only to be squandered on fraud.

One would think the state’s governor and legislators would be appalled by this fraud-fest in their state, and actively work to stop it.

Instead, Gavin Newsom & Co. recently approved legislation to protect the fraudsters. 

The Stop Nick Shirley Act (AB 2624), nicknamed by GOP Assemblyman Carl DeMaio for the journalist who last year exposed rampant fraud in Minnesota, aims to quash scrutiny of the very “nonprofits” that abuse taxpayers to pay for cars, mansions and yachts.

While supporters deny targeting Shirley, the legislation was introduced shortly after the journalist began filming California childcare facilities that he claimed were fraudulent.

The law allows civil lawsuits against those who publish images, like photos or videos, of workers at organizations that purport to help immigrant groups. It also lets potential fraudsters scrub their home addresses from public records by claiming they face harassment.

Newsom says the law delivers “privacy for immigration support services providers,” whom he claims have faced threats and intimidation following increased public scrutiny.

But the law is likely to chill inquiries into the very kind of fraud that traumatized Linda Henry.

It’s also is a violation of the First Amendment –– and a disgrace.

Of course, Newsom, along with Attorney General Rob Bonta, for the better part of a year has fought, dismissed and denigrated federal efforts to curb California fraud. 

Bonta in February staged a news conference in downtown LA to blast federal claims of California fraud as “reckless,” “false” and “ridiculous.” 

Tell that to victims like Linda Henry.

The state’s top law enforcement officer later did prosecute a relative handful of California fraud cases. But talk about late to the party.

And in January, Newsom replied to news of federal fraud probes by slamming President Donald Trump as “a deranged, habitual liar” whose “relationship with reality ended years ago.”

As if blasting Trump is the answer to chronic fraud in California. 

Both men’s comments landed poorly and have aged badly.

Just this year, federal prosecutors have brought multiple major fraud cases involving dozens of defendants in California. 

The Trump administration, including fraud czar JD Vance and top LA federal prosector Bill Essayli, deserve credit for doing what Sacramento won’t: pushing to end entrenched fraud in the Golden State.

Meanwhile, we have the spectacle of Newsom, and state legislators, effectively siding with fraudsters over victimized seniors.

That’s quite a platform for the gov’s brazen presidential ambitions.

Bumper sticker thought: “Newsom for fraud 2028!”