Free Republic

Live by the federal subsidy ... well, you know the rest. And if not, Robert Kennedy Jr just served up a big reminder.Republicans in Congress got thwarted in their attempt to defund providers delivering pediatric sex-change therapies. Instead, the HHS Secretary will act within his authority to deny Medicare and Medicaid funds to hospitals and clinics that provide these services, forcing them into a choice between funding for actual care and pandering to the extreme Left at the expense of children. National Review got the scoop:The Department of Health and Human Services will soon begin the rule-making process to prohibit...

Today, the Big, Beautiful Bill will become law once President Donald J. Trump puts ink to paper at a big, beautiful signing ceremony in Iowa. Despite opposition from every Democrat in Congress, the House and Senate enacted critical measures to benefit millions of blue-collar workers and their families. It’s another promise from the campaign trail that has become a reality. [SNIP] Perhaps nowhere is the gap between reality and rhetoric clearer than in the bill’s efforts to reform America’s out-of-control health care system. Because the bill eliminates wasteful and ineffective Obamacare programs, creates a work requirement for some programs, and...

The FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) on June 30 said that almost $15 billion was reported in losses in the “largest health care fraud” investigation in U.S. history, with officials charging more than 300 people in connection with the alleged scheme.In a post on social media platform X, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote that $14.6 billion in losses were incurred, while $245 million was seized, as FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a separate post on X that hundreds of people were charged in the case.$245 million seized, hundreds of defendants and medical professionals charged, and $15 billion...

The Department of Justice on Monday unveiled a record-shattering crackdown on the corrupt underbelly of America’s health care system. A jaw-dropping 324 defendants — including 96 medical professionals — have been charged in 50 federal districts and 12 states for orchestrating over $14.6 billion in intended fraud, largely targeting Medicare, Medicaid, and federal health programs meant to serve the elderly, disabled, and the poor. The takedown, spearheaded by the DOJ’s Health Care Fraud Unit in coordination with HHS-OIG, the FBI, the DEA, and over a dozen state attorney general offices, marks the largest health care fraud bust in U.S. history....

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to...

Medicare and Social Security funds are now expected to drain out earlier than previous estimates, according to two new reports released on Wednesday. Social security is made up of two trust funds—old-age and survivors insurance (OASI) and disability insurance (DI). The two are combined for analyzing the overall status of social security funds, referred to as the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program. The 2025 OASDI trustees report, published on June 18, said the total cost of the social security program started exceeding its total income in 2021. Currently, the fund is projected to be depleted by 2034, a...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Sen. Joni Ernst was met with shouts and groans when she said “we all are going to die” as she addressed potential changes to Medicaid eligibility at a town hall in north-central Iowa on Friday.

Prove me wrong.

Things continue to spiral for the embattled UnitedHealth.UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurer in the United States, is reportedly the subject of a federal criminal investigation for potential Medicare fraud, according to an exclusive report by the Wall Street Journal.The investigation, led by the U.S. Department of Justice’s health-care fraud unit in New York, has been underway since at least the summer of 2024 and centers on the company’s Medicare Advantage business practices, according to the report.Medicare Advantage, a program that provides private insurance alternatives to traditional Medicare, serves over 8.2 million members through UnitedHealth, making it a significant revenue...

The U.S. Department of Justice is carrying out a criminal investigation into UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N), opens new tab for possible Medicare fraud, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. UnitedHealth said it had not been notified by the DOJ about the "supposed criminal investigation reported," and the company stood by "the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program." The stock fell 8% in after-hours trade following the report. The health insurer has been under pressure for months. On Tuesday, UnitedHealth Group's CEO, Andrew Witty, stepped down unexpectedly, and the company simultaneously suspended its 2025 financial forecast due to rising medical costs....

President Trump vowed to bring “FAIRNESS TO AMERICA!” by deeply slashing prescription drug prices through an executive order he plans to sign Monday morning.

President Donald Trump plans to revive an effort to dramatically slash drug costs by tying the amount the government pays for some medicines to lower prices abroad, three people familiar with the matter told POLITICO. Trump early next week is expected to sign an executive order directing aides to pursue the initiative, called “most favored nation,” for a selection of drugs within the Medicare program. The idea would use the administration’s authorities to force prices down. The proposal has not been finalized and could still change as aides work through the specifics, said the people involved in the plan, who...

A federal jury convicted a Louisiana nurse practitioner yesterday for her role in an over $2 million health care fraud scheme. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Shanone Chatman-Ashley, 45, of Opelousas, was a nurse practitioner and enrolled provider with Medicare. Chatman-Ashley worked as an independent contractor for companies that purportedly provided telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries. As part of the scheme, the defendant caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME). Chatman-Ashley routinely ordered knee braces, suspension sleeves, and other types of DME for patients who had...

Dr. Mehmet Oz, newly sworn in as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has exposed billions of dollars in fraud, waste, and abuse plaguing America’s healthcare safety nets. Appearing on America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer, Dr. Oz laid out a clear and urgent mission: protect the most vulnerable — not enrich bureaucrats, fraudsters, and corrupt insiders. “Right now, my main focus, without any question, is to wage a war on fraud, waste, and abuse — because that’s what’s required. All hands-on deck,” Dr. Oz said.

UnitedHealth Group’s stock nosedived Thursday morning after earnings fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, and the healthcare giant substantially downgraded its projected results for 2025, citing problems in its Medicare business. There were steep declines in share prices across the insurance industry, as investors reacted to the bellwether company’s unexpected financial woes. In premarket trading, shares of UnitedHealth fell more than 20%. Meanwhile Humana shares dropped more than 13%, while Elevance was down nearly 11% and CVS fell almost 8%. [Snip] UnitedHealth slashed its guidance for the full year, to a range of $26 to $26.50 per share in adjusted...

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz told state Medicaid directors Friday there will be no Medicaid funding for “gender reassignment” surgeries or hormone treatments for minors.“As a doctor and now CMS Administrator, my top priority is protecting children and upholding the law. Medicaid dollars are not to be used for gender reassignment surgeries or hormone treatments in minors – procedures that can cause permanent, irreversible harm, including sterilization,” Oz said in a written statement obtained by Breitbart News.“We have a duty to ensure medical care is lawful, necessary, and truly in the best interest of...

The Trump administration is targeting immigrants who have Social Security numbers but have lost their legal status in the U.S. — including those who entered under former President Joe Biden’s temporary work programs. This prevents those impacted from being able to receive Medicaid, Medicare, unemployment insurance, federal loans or other benefits.

Washington, D.C. — March 27, 2025 — Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a dramatic restructuring in accordance with President Trump's Executive Order, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative.”The restructuring will address this and serve multiple goals without impacting critical services. First, it will save taxpayers $1.8 billion per year through a reduction in workforce of about 10,000 full-time employees who are part of this most recent transformation. When combined with HHS’ other efforts, including early retirement and Fork in the Road, the restructuring results in a total downsizing from 82,000...

During the continuing resolution fight, the drum the Democrats kept beating was that Republicans wanted to gut Medicare - despite the fact that Joe Biden's administration oversaw years of cuts to Medicare Advantage, the plan increasingly chosen by the nation's seniors. Dems won't characterize cuts to Medicare Advantage as Medicare cuts, though, because what they're really trying to do is eliminate Medicare Advantage as a way to push "Medicare for All." Now that we're headed into the reconciliation process, where finding ways to keep Medicare solvent will be a top issue, at least one lefty is on record admitting that...

Dr. Mehmet Oz promised senators on Friday to fight health care fraud and push to make Americans healthier if he becomes the next leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Leading the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services presents a “monumental opportunity” to make the country healthier, Oz told senators Friday morning. “We don’t have to order people to eat healthy, we have to make it easier for people to be healthy,” adding that he considered maintaining good health a “patriotic duty.”