Alarm bells are blaring in California after a man described as a “respiratory therapist” reportedly collected more than $40 million in Medicaid payments through his medical supply company.

The enormous taxpayer funded haul allegedly financed a lifestyle packed with mansions, exotic cars, private flights, and lavish vacations.

City Journal reporter Chris Rufo revealed that Curtis Kurkova operates HeroCare, a company that received at least $40.5 million from California Medicaid beginning in 2020.

About $34.4 million reportedly poured into the business during 2023 and 2024 alone.

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According to Rufo, most of HeroCare’s Medicaid revenue from 2020 through 2024 came from a small collection of basic plastic products.

That would be quite a remarkable business model, especially for an operation whose visible public presence appears remarkably thin.

Kurkova and his husband allegedly turned their sudden wealth into a spectacular spending spree.

Their biggest reported purchase was a $28 million mansion in Hidden Hills, the wealthy enclave near celebrities including the Kardashians.

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The couple also reportedly spent millions on sports cars, private jets, luxury resorts, and three other homes.

They traveled and partied in some of the world’s most exclusive destinations while California taxpayers were left covering HeroCare’s staggering Medicaid reimbursements.

Rufo’s investigation found several warning signs surrounding the company and its operations.

HeroCare’s website reportedly contains no information about Kurkova, while its “Shop” page is empty despite the company receiving tens of millions of dollars.

The company’s Facebook page had fewer than 30 followers, another curious detail for a business generating such extraordinary government backed revenue.

A quiet social media account is not evidence of wrongdoing, but paired with the other findings, it hardly inspires confidence.

Investigators first visited the Chino medical plaza address HeroCare listed on its most recently available Statement of Interest form.

At Unit 109, a woman answered the door and said, “Hero Health Care? I’m not sure,” before adding, “This is Pristine Home Health.”

The team then traveled to Van Nuys, where HeroCare claimed to maintain a mailing address.

There, reporters found a small paper “HeroCare” sign taped to a window, a locked door, and two brochures wedged into the doorframe.

When investigators returned weeks later, the sign had disappeared.

For a company swimming in Medicaid cash, HeroCare’s apparent footprint looked less like a thriving medical supplier and more like a paper trail with a doorbell.

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City Journal reporters also visited Kurkova’s Hidden Hills mansion and rang the doorbell.

They heard a dog barking inside, but nobody answered, leaving basic questions about the business and its billing practices hanging in the California air.

The documentary trail raised still more questions about Kurkova’s identity and business entities.

A deed involving the couple’s Big Bear City home showed that Kurkova previously used the name Curtis Ray Hotchkiss Jr. and legally sought a name change in 2023.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, Kurkova reportedly created another entity and moved through several company names, including HeroCare East LLC, Hero Healthcare Group, and HeroCare 2 LLC.

A cancellation certificate later stated that HeroCare 2 “has not conducted any business.”

A person identified as apparently being Kurkova’s brother, Michael Amar, formed a separate company called Hero Healthcare Group in 2025.

Amar, a licensed respiratory practitioner formerly known as Michael Hotchkiss, reportedly listed the same telephone number that HeroCare used in a 2023 Facebook post.

Rufo’s team attempted to contact Curtis Kurkova, Christian Kurkova, and Michael Amar, but none responded to the questions.

Instead, an attorney identified only as “Mike” answered and accused the investigators of “homophobia.”

That accusation did nothing to explain the Medicaid payments, empty storefront appearances, shifting corporate names, or mansion sized spending.

The left may treat identity politics as a magical shield, but taxpayers still deserve direct answers when more than $40 million in public money is involved.

When City Journal returned to the Hidden Hills estate, the gates were closed.

A Ferrari and Genesis sat in the driveway, while a Tesla eventually departed without Curtis Kurkova inside.

Kurkova and HeroCare appeared to have vanished from public view just as scrutiny intensified.

No criminal charge was reported in the source material, but the unanswered questions surrounding the company, its Medicaid billing, and the couple’s fortune are now impossible for California officials to ignore.

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