A preliminary CMS audit found that five states and Washington, D.C. routed more than $1.35 billion in federal Medicaid funds to illegal immigrants—and they did it “just in the last few months,” according to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehemet Oz. The standouts: California blew past $1.3 billion by itself, with D.C., Illinois, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon also spending millions. But remember—this “never” happens and “can’t” happen under federal law. Sure.
The law is clear: states share Medicaid with the feds and administer it independently, but federal funds can’t be used for illegal immigrants. States can use their own money—not Washington’s. As Dr. Oz noted, CMS intends to claw the money back. You know, accountability—the thing we’re always told is optional.
Meanwhile, we’re days from breaking the all-time longest shutdown record because Democrats would rather fight for health care for illegals than for American citizens. Priorities, right?
Oz laid it out plainly:
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Some deny illegals get Medicaid.
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Others say it’s illegal (it is, with federal dollars).
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And yes, hospitals must provide emergency care to anyone under EMTALA—which is separate from full Medicaid coverage.
The audit details are damning:
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Dozens of arrests tied to fraud.
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$50 million scams here and there.
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One person registered for SNAP in six states—a snapshot of how “loopholes” become open invitations.
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Data requests to all 50 states: every Republican-led state and two Democrat-led complied. The rest sued to block disclosure. Nothing screams “nothing to hide” like suing to hide it.
And while ICE operations have eased pressure on some notorious ERs, doctors warn that kicking illegals off Medicaid without broader reforms could push them back to the ER—costlier for everyone. That’s why the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB)—signed earlier this year—mattered to start fixing this mess. Next step? Tighten EMTALA so it can’t be abused as a back door for comprehensive care at taxpayer expense.
Bottom line: The CMS audit confirms what common sense already told us—federal Medicaid dollars meant for Americans have been illegally diverted. Time to claw it back, close the loopholes, and restore the program to its original intent: a safety net for citizens truly in need, not a blank check for those who shouldn’t be on the rolls. Clean it up, enforce the law, and put American families first—and watch the system get leaner, fairer, and stronger.
