California Dermatologist Loses Medicare Billing Privileges After $35M Hospice Claims Trigger Federal Scrutiny

A California doctor is under intense scrutiny after federal records showed more than $35 million in hospice care billing tied to her name.

The case is now raising serious questions about oversight, identity security, and possible fraud inside the Medicare system.

At the center is Dr. Fariba Javaherian, a dermatologist who investigators say was connected to 63 hospice agencies through her federal provider number.

Billing data shows her identifier appeared on more than 6,000 claims covering about 1,662 patients in 2025 alone.

After the findings surfaced on April 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services moved quickly.

Officials revoked her Medicare billing privileges, cutting off her ability to submit claims to the federal health program.

Despite the numbers, Javaherian has not been charged with a crime.

Javaherian pushed back hard against the claims.

She says she only worked with about seven hospice agencies and believes her provider identity was stolen and used without her knowledge.

She also claimed she repeatedly contacted health officials to report suspected fraud.

Experts interviewed in the investigation expressed doubt about that explanation.

Some said they had never seen a case where a doctor’s National Provider Identifier was allegedly used across dozens of agencies without clear warning signs.

One hospice medical director said managing even 200 patients would already stretch a doctor thin. Records suggest Javaherian’s identifier was connected to far more.

The investigation also found her name listed on billing records connected to a previously convicted healthcare fraud figure.

Still, officials stressed she has not been accused of involvement in that criminal case.

Federal officials also confirmed multiple hospice agencies connected to the billing network have now had licenses suspended or payments stopped as regulators tighten enforcement.

The controversy comes as authorities warn that hospice and home healthcare fraud may cost taxpayers billions each year, especially in heavily populated regions like Southern California.

For now, the case sits in a gray zone. Massive billing totals. Strong denials. No criminal charges.

And many unanswered questions about how one provider number could appear across such a wide network.

The investigation may be over for now, but the debate over accountability in taxpayer funded healthcare is just heating up.