Why this was flagged
Medicare paid this provider far more than its peers
In 2020 Medicare paid this provider $54,802,936, against a typical payment of $2,205,936 for the same kind of provider that year. High volume can be legitimate, but extreme outliers are where billing fraud shows up.
Source Medicare Hospice Payments by Provider · record as of 11 Aug 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · c311f7
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An owner name may match the federal exclusion list
The owner name matches an exclusion-list name, but no second identifier confirms identity. Treat this as low-confidence context until a person verifies it.
Source HHS OIG Exclusion List (LEIE) · record as of 9 Nov 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · 9e9c16
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Owner is tied to 34 providers
An owner or managing party of this provider (COMFORT CARE HOLDINGS COMPANY) is listed on 34 separate Medicare enrollments. Chains are legal, and most are ordinary business — this is background context, not a fraud indicator on its own.
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
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Owners and managing parties of record
COMFORT CARE HOLDINGS COMPANY
5% OR GREATER INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST · O · 100% ownership · since Apr 27, 2001
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
VITAS HOSPICE SERVICES, LLC
5% OR GREATER DIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST · O · 100% ownership · since Jan 22, 2014
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
VITAS HEALTHCARE CORPORATION
5% OR GREATER INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST · O · 100% ownership · since Jan 22, 2014
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
KEVIN MCNAMARA
CORPORATE DIRECTOR · I · 33% ownership · since Feb 24, 2004
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
SANDHYA K BHALLA-REGEV
W-2 MANAGING EMPLOYEE · I · 0% ownership · since Jul 10, 2023
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
JOEL WHERLEY
CORPORATE OFFICER · I · 0% ownership · since Aug 11, 2025
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
JOEL WHERLEY
CORPORATE DIRECTOR · I · 0% ownership · since Aug 11, 2025
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
ALEXANDER FERNANDEZ
CORPORATE OFFICER · I · 0% ownership · since Mar 23, 2023
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
ERIC J LUDWIG
W-2 MANAGING EMPLOYEE · I · 0% ownership · since Oct 25, 2021
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
MICHAEL WITZEMAN
CORPORATE OFFICER · I · 0% ownership · since Apr 8, 2024
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
BRIAN JUDKINS
CORPORATE OFFICER · I · 0% ownership · since Aug 31, 2020
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
BRIAN JUDKINS
CORPORATE DIRECTOR · I · 0% ownership · since Aug 31, 2020
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
CHEMED CORPORATION
5% OR GREATER INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST · O · since Apr 27, 2001
Source CMS Hospice All Owners · record as of 19 Oct 2026 · pulled 9 Nov 2026 · version 2026-11-09 · fc59f2
Source timeline
Corrections and disputes
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Source records
Each value includes its published file, download date, and weekly version. Open a link to check the source record. Verify this lead yourself.
| Detail | Value | Published file | Record as of | Pulled | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal name | VITAS HEALTHCARE CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| NPI | 1801939939 | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| Medicare certification number | 051597 | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| CMS associate ID | 8224923081 | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| Provider type | PART A PROVIDER - HOSPICE | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| Organisation type | CORPORATION | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| Incorporation date | 1994-11-28 | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| State of incorporation | DE | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| Street address | 9655 GRANITE RIDGE DRIVE, SUITE 300 | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| City | SAN DIEGO | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| State | CA | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
| ZIP | 92123-2676 | CMS Hospice Enrollments | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 2026-11-09 · cca83d |
What changed
Public research history
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