Alameda County Expands Federal Lobbying to Address Healthcare Fraud

On July 1, Alameda County in California appointed Picard Group LLC as its federal lobbying representative, targeting six key policy areas, including Medicare and Medicaid, agriculture, and health issues. The lobbying disclosure identifies Emily Da Silva, a partner at Picard Group, and Curtis Erdmann, senior director of federal affairs, as key advocates. Da Silva brings valuable legislative experience from her time with former Sen. John Breaux.

California counties have been under congressional scrutiny due to healthcare fraud concerns. An April House Ways and Means hearing highlighted significant issues in Los Angeles County, with 700 out of 1,800 hospice companies flagged for irregularities. The county witnessed a dramatic rise in hospice facilities from 2010 to 2022, marking a 1,500 percent increase.

Sheila Clark, leading the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association, reported a surge in Medicare home health payments in Los Angeles, reaching $1.7 billion in 2024, double the 2018 figure. Additionally, the number of home health agencies climbed from 655 to 1,800, with hospice services seeing nearly tripled funding as billing hospices grew to 1,356. In 2025, LA County saw 310 new agency enrollments in Medicare.

Rep. John Joyce addressed the issue in a March hearing, emphasizing the vulnerability of Medicare hospice services in California to fraud. Testimonies noted, for example, 89 hospice companies located at a single address in Van Nuys. Tyler Sadwith, California’s State Medicaid Director, testified about over 300 allegations of fraud referred to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit over the last five years.

The registration of Alameda County's new lobbying efforts strengthens its capacity to tackle healthcare fraud and other federal policy priorities. With seasoned professionals at the helm, the county aims to establish direct communication with Congress to address these critical issues.