CMS Says the Bill Has Hit $2 Billion
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said Tuesday that his agency has identified about $2 billion in fraudulent healthcare payments tied to illegal aliens. That is double the figure he cited last year, which is a neat reminder that waste and fraud rarely stay small when nobody is guarding the door. Oz said some states have started cracking down on the problem, while others still lag behind and leave taxpayers stuck with the tab.
California Owes Washington Half the Total
Oz also said California owes the federal government $2 billion for giving illegal aliens full Medi-Cal coverage, including dental and vision benefits. He said the federal government has already recovered half of that money and expects to get the rest. The irony is hard to miss. Medicare patients do not get those same extras, but some state officials acted like the rules were optional as long as the paperwork looked modern and compassionate.
Vance’s Anti Fraud Team Keeps Digging
Oz praised Vice President JD Vance and the White House anti-fraud task force for pushing the issue into criminal referrals. Vance has said his team has uncovered more than $22 billion in fraudulent small business loans, over $1.3 billion in fraudulent Medicaid reimbursements, $6.3 billion in suspect government contracts, and $60 million in student aid fraud. That is what happens when someone treats the word “oversight” like it means more than a press release and a catered lunch.
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