Overview
- CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz says preliminary audits found more than $1 billion in federal Medicaid spending went to people lacking permanent legal status and that recoveries are underway.
- HHS directed CMS to share Medicaid enrollee data with the Department of Homeland Security, and ICE says it will use the information to support deportation efforts.
- Officials from five state Medicaid programs report receiving over 170,000 names to investigate for immigration eligibility.
- CMS has cited state-level totals including about $1.3 billion for California and smaller amounts for Illinois, Oregon, Washington, the District of Columbia, and Colorado.
- State leaders, including California’s governor’s office, dispute the federal findings and point to legal allowances for emergency treatment and separate state-funded coverage.