PORTLAND (WGME) — Vice President JD Vance, who is just hours away from visiting Maine, announced Wednesday that the Trump administration is freezing new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health agencies.
This will be a six-month moratorium for all states, not just Maine.
It only applies to agencies looking to open a new hospice or home health facility.
For facilities in Maine already providing care or for existing clients, nothing changes and services won’t be interrupted.
The Trump administration claims the move is to protect people who depend on Medicare and taxpayers.
Without giving any specifics or announcing any policy changes, Vice President Vance says these agencies are a “key source of fraudulent activity”.
Earlier this year, the federal government questioned Maine over an audit, finding possible improper spending in state-administered programs.
“There has been some back…
THE ISUZU MOTORS PAYROLL FRAUD (GQEBERHA, SA)
Date: February 16, 2026 Perpetrator: Natasja Slabbert (42)
Case Description: In a case that hit home for the Eastern Cape business community, Natasja Slabbert, a payroll administrator at Isuzu Motors South Africa’s Struandale plant, was arrested for an alleged R10.5 million fraud. The scheme, which began surfacing in late 2024, exploited the very systems designed to manage employee compensation. Slabbert allegedly manipulated payroll records to create false entries that appeared as legitimate deductions and contributions on employee payslips. In reality, these “deductions” were being diverted into her personal bank account.
The fraud was only uncovered after diligent employees noticed that their net “take-home” pay was significantly lower than expected, despite the gross amounts on their payslips remaining high. Following a thorough probe by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, it was discovered that in August 2024 alone, over R626,000 was unlawfully transferred. Slabbert was granted bail of R5,000 on February 17, 2026, and the case has been postponed to later in the month for further legal proceedings. This case highlights the critical need for “segregation of duties” in payroll departments, as a single point of failure allowed for the systematic siphoning of millions over nearly two years.
Link to Original: PE Express – Isuzu Payroll Fraud