Dr Oz says Florida is next target in Medicaid fraud crackdown

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said that Florida will be the next target in the Trump administration's crackdown on Medicaid fraud.

"Florida has been a hotspot for health care fraud for years," Oz posted on X on Tuesday. "Taxpayers and vulnerable patients deserve better—and it’s time for state leadership to step up and work with us to stop it. We’re exposing the abuse, pursuing the fraudsters, and cleaning up these programs."

Oz sent a letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other state leaders, requesting that they share information on how they identify, prevent, and address bad actors in their state Medicaid program, The Associated Press reported. He previously sent similar letters to New York, Minnesota, Maine, and California.

The announcement came a day after President Trump signed an executive order to create an anti-fraud task force across federal benefit programs led by Vice President JD Vance.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) shared Oz's post on X on Tuesday, writing, "Just recently, our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit arrested a man who was stealing Medicaid money meant to provide transportation services for disabled children. The Medicaid system is overwhelmed with fraud and abuse, and we look forward to working with Dr. Oz on these issues!"

DeSantis’s chief of staff, Jason Weida, also shared Oz's post, saying, "Florida has been working closely with @DrOzCMS and the @CMSGov team to address this issue. We have zero tolerance for waste, fraud, and abuse — and we will aggressively deploy every resource necessary to root it out at any level in our state. Stay tuned."

DeSantis' office and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration didn’t immediately respond to the AP's requests for comment.

CMS froze Medicaid payments to Minnesota last month over fraud concerns, which the state’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz denounced as a political attack. Oz said the funds would be delivered after Minnesota implements “a comprehensive corrective action plan.”

The agency also said it is blocking any new Medicare enrollments for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, or other supplies used to treat chronic conditions or assist in injury recovery for six months to mitigate suspected improper billing.