Did a California Respiratory Therapist Make Bank Through Medicaid Fraud?

We have another story of massive Medicare fraud out of California. This time, a respiratory therapist reportedly billed the state’s Medicaid program $40 million, only to spend it on a mansion, sports cars, private jets, and luxury resorts. It’s the latest in a long line of billions of dollars of fraud, often in blue states, where Democrats largely turn a blind eye to the problem.

EXCLUSIVE: A respiratory therapist named Curtis Kurkova billed California Medicaid $40 million, then spent millions on sports cars, private jets, luxury resorts, and an enormous mansion next to the Kardashian house.

The experts told us it had all the red flags for fraud. pic.twitter.com/kM6x8EzXno

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@christopherrufo) September 2, 2026

Curtis and his husband Christian shared pictures of the houses they bought online, jets they flew with, as well as videos of the two partying in exclusive, exotic locales.

“In 2019, Curtis Kurkova founded a company called ‘HeroCare,'” said Rufo. “He was mostly selling these plastic products: breathing tubes, catheters, which are made in Mexico and cost about $15. In 2020, the company made about $7,000. The next year, about $400,000. In 2022, they billed the government $5 million. Then $15 million, then $18.8 million. But the actual business is something of a ghost.”

Here’s more:

Curtis Kurkova lives in a $28 million mansion. The estate is nestled within a gated and guarded neighborhood in Hidden Hills, California. Its modern exterior, massive windows, and backyard pool are fit for a magazine feature.

Kurkova, a licensed respiratory practitioner, signed a document for the property as a member of an LLC. In January, he signed another document for the estate confirming that a bank had loaned him nearly $19 million. Three months later, he uploaded pictures of the mansion to Instagram with the caption “Checkmate.”

Medicaid data appear to show that Kurkova’s company, HeroCare, made at least $40.5 million from the program since 2020. The bulk of that cash—about $34.4 million—was paid out between 2023 and 2024.

…

Fraud expert Sam Adolphsen, a former chief operating officer for Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services, said that HeroCare’s billing increases raised red flags.

“Huge year over year billing increases, with claims for multiple types of urinary catheters, from a specialty respiratory shop, billed to nearly identical patient counts month after month, by a provider bragging about private jets—that raises a lot of questions that must be resolved,” he said. “This appears to be, by definition, a credible allegation of fraud, in a state where the political leadership seems to totally ignore fraud.”

The company’s website doesn’t work and social media accounts are empty.

Rufo tried calling phone numbers associated with the business and they don’t work, either.

Rufo says that when City Journal reached out to the Kurkovas and Michael Amar, a lawyer who identified himself as “Mike” called and accused the outlet of being “homophobic.”

The Instagram feeds for both Curtis and Christian Kurkova are now private as well.

Looks like our resident entrepreneurs have gone private pic.twitter.com/T5n8v5hJ57

— Jordan Chamberlain (@jordylancaster) September 2, 2026

California has massive problems with Medicaid and Medicare fraud. Dr. Oz and CMS have targeted California over the state’s exploding hospice programs. In May, CMS issued a six-month pause on new hospice and home health agencies under Medicare.

An Anaheim woman recently pleaded guilty in a $2.2 million Medicare scheme. In April, Gavin Newsom tried taking credit for “leading the charge” against fraud in his state.

That’s a joke, of course, because all the Democrats in Sacramento have done is pass the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” which targets independent journalists who work to uncover fraud in California’s welfare programs. We have to wonder if this incredible reporting will run afoul of that unconstitutional legislation.

we’re at the point our state is now attempting to suspend our right to property in order to patch the medi-cal budget hole. we need to 10x prison sentencing for fraud. https://t.co/boQQAyRX9g

— Mike Solana (@micsolana) September 2, 2026

Instead of addressing fraud, Democrats will take your money and your property.

Rufo said that the White House is aware of this video, and that “accountability is coming.”

My sources are saying that this video is already making the rounds through the White House. Accountability is coming. https://t.co/sfL2RTC72n

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@christopherrufo) September 2, 2026

We certainly hope so.

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