Overview
- CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said a preliminary review found more than $1 billion in improper Medicaid spending across several jurisdictions and alleged $5.4 million in Oregon.
- Oregon’s health authority calls the allegation categorically false and says CMS has acknowledged the cited amount does not match the funds still under review.
- State officials say the questioned spending involves federally allowed emergency Medicaid services and approved operational costs, not routine coverage for people lacking legal status.
- CMS demanded detailed enrollee data as part of its intensified oversight, Oregon initially resisted on privacy grounds, and a federal judge later barred CMS from sharing Medicaid data with immigration authorities.
- Oregon funds broader coverage for residents who do not qualify under federal rules through the state-paid Healthier Oregon program, while federal Medicaid covers emergency care regardless of immigration status.