Vice President J.D. Vance Addresses Medicaid Fraud Investigations
Vice President J.D. Vance has expressed confidence that federal investigations will uncover criminal activity related to suspected taxpayer-funded welfare fraud, particularly in states like California.
In a discussion with Kayleigh McEnany from Fox News, Vance highlighted that the government’s fraud task force is looking into whether government officials contributed to the alleged fraud. He strongly suggested that those implicated in covering up any abuses “should be sent to prison.”
“I can guarantee there’s been a lot of fraud. I mean, there’s no way someone didn’t know what was going on,” Vance said during an exclusive interview on “Saturday in America.”
As the chairman of the Anti-Fraud Task Force, Vance is focused on addressing fraud claims in states such as California and Minnesota. Recently, along with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, he announced a deferment of $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid funds to California due to oversight issues.
Vance reported that a fraudulent hospice center has been shut down and 22 subpoenas have been issued as part of a fraud investigation in Minneapolis. Additionally, the task force has put a six-month freeze on new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home healthcare providers.
He also emphasized that state officials who were aware of dubious activities and didn’t take action should face consequences.
“When I hear about people alerting the governor about this fraud, and nothing happens, I have to wonder, ‘Was there someone involved in criminal activity? Did someone in the governor’s office know about it?’” Vance noted.
Vance promised the American public that there would be thorough investigations into these matters. He stated, “If there was any criminal act, people need to be held accountable, even jailed.”
As part of a proactive approach, Vance mentioned that the task force is reaching out to states to ensure they are taking steps to combat Medicaid fraud seriously.
“If they aren’t taking aggressive actions against Medicaid fraud, we will reconsider funding these fraud units,” he warned.
Fox News Digital reached out to Governor Gavin Newsom’s office for a response, but no immediate comment was available.
