A California dermatologist linked to $35 million in questionable Medicare hospice billing has lost her license to bill the federal health program following an extensive investigation that uncovered a network of suspicious claims spanning 63 facilities across the state.

Massive Billing Scheme Uncovered

Dr. Fariba Javaherian, a registered dermatologist, appeared as medical director or attending physician at 63 hospice facilities across California in 2025 alone. Her National Provider Identifier number was used for 1,662 unique patients and appeared on more than 6,000 claims totaling $35,816,331. Between January 2018 and September 2025, her NPI was associated with over 31,000 claims at 130 different hospice agencies, totaling more than $173 million in Medicare billing. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revoked Javaherian’s billing privileges and suspended at least 16 hospice agencies tied to her identifier from receiving federal funds.

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz condemned the practice, stating that the principle of do no harm was ignored and replaced with devastating damage disguised as help. Christopher Krepich, CMS spokesman, confirmed the agency had been monitoring the situation closely in coordination with Vice President Vance’s Fraud Taskforce. A hospice medical director operating in California told investigators that managing more than 200 patients makes it physically impossible to provide adequate care, yet Javaherian’s identifier was linked to over 1,600 patients simultaneously.

Doctor Claims Identity Theft

Javaherian denied working for 63 hospice agencies and claimed her NPI was stolen through HospiceMD, a cloud-based electronic medical records platform. She alleged the company allowed fraudulent hospice facilities to be created under her name, with operators charging Medicare before disappearing within six months. Javaherian stated she contacted HospiceMD repeatedly but was told she could not deactivate her account. HospiceMD CEO Sahaar Joseph responded that the company serves as a third-party medical software vendor and does not create or manage hospice agencies itself.

Federal Crackdown Intensifies

The California Attorney General’s office declined to confirm or deny any ongoing investigations into the matter. The case highlights vulnerabilities in Medicare’s hospice billing system, where NPI numbers are publicly available and potentially exploitable. Javaherian has not been formally accused of wrongdoing, but the federal suspension of her billing privileges and associated facilities represents one of the largest enforcement actions in California’s hospice system. Taxpayers funded these questionable claims through Medicare, raising concerns about oversight of end-of-life care providers across the country.