Lawmakers press witnesses on Hospice Care Act, NPI deactivation and pardons in fraud debate

Several members used the hearing to press for legislative steps while also trading partisan critiques about enforcement priorities and pardons.

Representative Sanchez, sponsor of the Hospice Care Act, said her bill would require beneficiary notice of hospice elections within 15 days and include measures such as temporary enrollment moratoria, enhanced screening for new hospices and more frequent surveys of flagged providers. "My bill requires the secretary to provide notice of the hospice election within 15 days," she told the committee and urged a bipartisan path forward.

Representative Doggett pressed witnesses about inspector general work and sought extra authorities such as deactivating National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers for convicted fraudsters; witnesses generally supported stronger tools. Doggett said the committee had seen "hundreds of fraudulent hospice programs registered at the same address" and pressed for additional resources and action.

Several members, including Representatives Neal and others, raised concern about recent presidential pardons or commutations for convicted health‑care fraudsters and said pardons undercut deterrence. Witnesses and members repeatedly called for better staffing and funding for CMS, OIG and DOJ to pursue fraud while balancing reforms that do not harm legitimate providers or patients.

The hearing produced no formal votes, but it clarified the range of legislative and administrative reforms under consideration — from beneficiary notice timelines to strengthened prepayment review and potential statutory authority to deactivate NPIs or otherwise curb sham provider enrollments.