A federal crackdown on alleged Medicaid fraud is intensifying scrutiny of state programs, with members of Congress divided over both the scale of the problem and how aggressively it should be addressed.
The House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing came the same week the Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled charges against around 450 defendants for alleged healthcare fraud totaling over $6.5 billion, the latest escalation in its months-long crackdown on fraud in federally funded programs.
Representative Randy Weber (R-TX) said that what the DOJ continues to uncover about the scale and scope of Medicaid and other forms of fraud is deeply concerning.
“The level of fraud that has been unearthed in Minnesota's Medicaid program is alarming,” Rep. Weber said.
John Connolly, temporary commissioner and state Medicaid director for Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, said the department has identified at least 14 high-risk Medicaid-related programs and is implementing a “corrective action plan” for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) through surprise inspections, background checks and more frequent eligibility reviews.
“All of those providers have been revalidated within the past five months as well, in partnership in completing that corrective action plan at the direction of CMS,” Connolly said.
Connolly said the department also uses this information to search for specific patterns in fraud to inform future investigations and policy decisions.
“If there is a pattern or a concerning issue that we identify, that does inform perhaps administrative changes in policy,” Connolly said. “We might also engage legislators to make changes to those programs, which we've done in the last two sessions.”
The Fraud Fight Inside the White House
Rep. Lizzie Fletcher said she herself has noticed a pattern of fraud, but not exactly the type highlighted by the department.
“This is the third subcommittee hearing that we have had in this Congress on Medicaid fraud in state programs,” Rep. Fletcher said. “And we have not had hearings on so many other areas in the government where fraud is not only possible but appears to be happening right in front of our eyes.”
According to Rep. Fletcher, the Trump administration’s claims of waste, fraud and abuse in federally funded programs are to cut funds from programs it “doesn’t like” or “doesn’t understand.” The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts to New World screwworm research programs in early 2025 is a clear example of this, she said.
“This Congress has been a willing partner in that effort, repeating waste, fraud and abuse ad nauseam to justify cutting health care funding and food assistance, taking care away from people who are sick and taking food away from people who are hungry,” Rep. Fletcher said.
In addition to these program cuts, Rep. Fletcher also pointed to the Trump administration’s gutting of the federal agencies meant to investigate fraud of this sort.
“These things don't add up with the stated purpose of rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse,” Rep. Fletcher said. “Don't be fooled about what is going on in this administration and what is going on in this Congress.”
