House Subcommittee Discusses Potential Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid

On February 3, 2026, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing on Medicare and Medicaid fraud schemes as part of the Trump administration's efforts to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse.

Republican lawmakers focused on issues ranging from alleged fraud in Minnesota and other Democrat-run states, while Democratic members focused on current immigration enforcement and the firing of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General, which is normally not a position that changes between administrations. Members raised concerns about hospice fraud in California, including overpayment for unused services and the impacts of fraud, waste, and abuse on vulnerable communities-an area of concern raised in a January 27, 2026 letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Administrator Mehmet Oz. Witnesses also highlighted vulnerabilities in Medicaid non-emergency transportation, home- and community-based services, and hospice and nursing home billing.

LeadingAge will continue to monitor policies around fraud, waste, and abuse as well as advocating for approaches that target the vulnerabilities in Medicare and Medicaid programs without creating burden or harm to quality providers or those they serve. The full hearing is available here.