“Fake Dying Patients”: Fil-Am Nurse Linked to Massive Medicare Scam

A Filipino American nurse is at the center of a massive federal investigation into alleged hospice fraud schemes that authorities say siphoned millions from Medicare.

Federal prosecutors identified Lolita Beronilla Minerd, 65, a licensed vocational nurse from Anaheim, California, as a key figure behind Topanga Hospice Care Inc. in Artesia described in court filings as a vehicle for fraudulent billing.

Authorities allege that from July 2020 to April 2025, the operation submitted more than $9.17 million in claims for hospice services provided to patients who were not terminally ill, with Medicare paying out roughly $8.51 million.

RECRUITED, PAID, AND FALSELY DECLARED “DYING”

Investigators say the scheme targeted individuals who did not qualify for hospice care—then falsely certified them as terminally ill to unlock high Medicare reimbursements.

Patients were allegedly recruited through cash kickbacks, sometimes handed out in envelopes at local markets.

In one case cited by prosecutors, a couple was promised monthly cash payments in exchange for enrolling. Their doctor later confirmed they were not terminally ill.

Authorities also pointed to unusually high discharge rates, suggesting many patients outlived hospice care because they were never eligible to begin with.

ANOTHER FILIPINO NAMED IN WIDER FRAUD WEB

The case is part of a broader Southern California crackdown involving multiple hospice operators and more than $50 million in alleged intended losses.

Federal authorities say another individual of Filipino descent has also been charged in a separate but related scheme, likewise accused of enrolling non-terminal patients and billing Medicare for unnecessary or nonexistent care.

Across the cases, investigators allege patients were sometimes moved or recycled between hospice providers, allowing fraudulent billing to continue with little to no legitimate treatment.

A PATTERN OF SYSTEMIC ABUSE

Prosecutors say the schemes followed a common playbook:

• Recruit non-terminal individuals

• Falsely certify them as “end-of-life” patients

• Bill Medicare for costly hospice services

• Provide minimal or no actual care

  
  

Officials warn the fraud not only drains taxpayer funds but also undermines critical services meant for patients facing true end-of-life conditions.

Minerd and the other defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.