Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands during a press conference about withholding Medicaid funds from Minnesota and California Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
July 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday it is withholding more than $1 billion from California and Minnesota.
The federal government will withhold more than $867 million in payments from California and more than $200 million from Minnesota on a claim that the states have allowed fraud in their Medicaid programs. It said the states must provide proof that certain claims are legitimate.
"The action advances the Trump administration's effort to combat fraud, waste and abuse in Medicaid and safeguard federal taxpayer dollars," a press release said.
"Medicaid exists to serve vulnerable Americans -- not to bankroll unsupported claims," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in a statement. "Under President Trump's leadership, we are restoring accountability across our public programs and protecting taxpayer dollars. I appreciate CMS Administrator Dr. [Mehmet] Oz's leadership in strengthening Medicaid program integrity and ensuring federal funds are spent as Congress intended. States that receive federal Medicaid funding must demonstrate that every dollar meets federal requirements. When they cannot, we will not release federal funds until they do."
