RFK Jr. halts $1B in Medicaid payments to California, Minnesota citing fraud but presents no new evidence

Published Jul 21, 06:25 PM UTC

The Trump administration, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, announced a pause on $1 billion in Medicare and Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota, citing suspected fraud and noncompliance. However, no new evidence of fraud was presented. This action follows a pattern of the administration targeting Democratic-run states, including a previous $1.3 billion Medicaid reimbursement block on California in May and threats to withhold disaster aid and federal grants. The article notes that states have successfully challenged such funding cuts in court, and Minnesota and California are expected to sue, arguing the White House is acting vindictively.