SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond announced a formal request Monday for county staff to deliver a public presentation on efforts to prevent, detect and respond to fraud in the county's social service programs.
Desmond said he sent a memo to County Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton asking for a public presentation by county staff.
While stressing that there is no indication of fraud locally, Desmond said the public deserves transparent assurances that strong protections are in place before problems arise -- not after headlines break.
His request was prompted by recent national and statewide reporting that revealed alleged instances of taxpayer-funded programs being exploited.
Desmond cited the Minnesota case of multiple licensed daycare and learning centers allegedly received millions of dollars in reimbursements for services
that were never provided.
"Federal investigators now believe this may be one of the largest public-benefit fraud schemes in U.S. history," Desmond said.
According to Desmond, investigations by state and federal authorities in California have uncovered cases where hospice providers allegedly billed government programs for care that was not delivered, enrolled patients who were not terminally ill, and collected millions in reimbursements without performing required oversight or documentation.
"These patterns are not isolated," Desmond said. "When you hear about empty facilities receiving millions in taxpayer dollars or hospice programs billed for services that were never provided, it's no surprise the public has a growing distrust of government. People are right to ask: Are our tax dollars being protected?"
Specifically, Desmond called on county leadership to publicly present:
-- A comprehensive overview of fraud prevention and detection measures.
-- Current audit procedures and frequency.
-- Reimbursement validation and on-site visit protocols.
-- Inter-agency coordination with state and federal law enforcement.
-- Enforcement procedures and recovery of misspent funds.
-- Examples of past findings and corrective actions taken.
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