The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that preliminary audits found Oregon improperly using $5,404,368 in federal tax dollars for Medicaid coverage of illegal immigrants beyond permitted emergency services.
The CMS post detailed initial audits across multiple states, identifying over $1 billion in federal funds misused for non-emergency Medicaid coverage of illegal immigrants. It listed specific states, including Oregon with $5,404,368, and noted that notifications led to refunds starting in some areas. The Trump Administration prioritizes eliminating such fraud to protect the program for American citizens.
The Oregon Health Authority reported that federal Medicaid rules strictly govern eligibility standards and allowable uses of federal funds. The agency noted that CMS has authority to disallow or recover payments if state Medicaid expenditures do not comply with federal law. It emphasized that ongoing federal policy changes require states to regularly update eligibility and coverage practices to avoid payment reversals.
Nationally, federal estimates indicate that Medicaid spending on non-citizens, including emergency services, exceeds $10 billion annually across all states. Government data shows that improper payments in entitlement programs like Medicaid total billions each year, with immigration-related issues contributing to waste. The CMS action supports broader efforts to enforce federal laws limiting such expenditures. The Government Accountability Office reported that.
CMS administers federal health programs, including Medicaid, serving over 70 million Americans with a budget exceeding $1 trillion. The agency oversees state compliance with federal guidelines to ensure funds support eligible citizens and legal residents. Under the Trump Administration, CMS focuses on reducing fraud and enforcing immigration-related spending restrictions.
