DOGE Has Found $14 Billion in Medicaid Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, Dr. Mehmet Oz Says

Epoch Times

26-05-2025

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said that his agency and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have identified at least $14 billion in fraud, waste, and abuse.
'There's about $14 billion we've identified with DOGE, of folks who are duly enrolled wrongly in multiple states for Medicaid,' Oz
As an example, Oz said, 'You live in New Jersey, but you move to Pennsylvania, and which state gets your Medicaid? Turns out both states collect money from the federal government.'
There are other areas, he said, that constitute abuse of the federal health care system. He said that some people who are eligible to get a job or seek education are receiving Medicaid, echoing statements made by GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.). who in recent days said that able-bodied individuals and illegal immigrants have received Medicaid benefits.
Oz urged that Medicaid be cleaned up so that it can provide services to individuals such as people with disabilities and others, suggesting that Republicans keep a work requirement to be eligible for the program.
'I think there's a moral hazard if we don't, because you've got people who are not working who could work, who should work, and it's better for them and better for the country if they do,' he said, referring to Republicans' having added work requirements into to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that passed in the House of Representatives last week.
Related Stories
5/23/2025
5/20/2025
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that
The bill, which is now in the hands of the Senate, would impose work requirements for low-income adults to receive Medicaid health insurance and increase them for food assistance. Supporters of the bill say the moves will save money, root out waste, and encourage personal responsibility.
Starting next year, many able-bodied Medicaid enrollees under 65 would be required to show that they work, volunteer, or go to school in exchange for the health insurance coverage under the measure. Only Arkansas has had a work requirement that kicks people off for noncompliance.
Established by President Donald Trump earlier this year, DOGE is tasked with finding fraud, waste, and abuse, although some of its efforts in federal agencies have been blocked by courts. A U.S. district judge in Maryland, for example, in March blocked the agency from accessing Social Security Administration systems, prompting the Trump administration to submit an emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month.
The task force has been effectively led by industrialist Elon Musk, a senior adviser to Trump and a special government employee, meaning he has 130 days to complete his work. Musk said during a Tesla earnings call last month that he would be stepping back from his government duties in May to focus on his company.
Over the past weekend, Musk wrote in a post on X that he is now working more at his companies, including Tesla and X.
'Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms. I must be super focused on X/xAI and Tesla (plus Starship launch next week), as we have critical technologies rolling out,' Musk
Oz, a former daytime television personality and doctor known as Dr. Oz, was confirmed as the 17th Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator by the Senate in early April.
The Epoch Times contacted the CMS for comment on Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.