Rep. Gary Palmer on Medicaid Fraud and Misinformation in Congress

Addressing Medicaid Misinformation

• 🗣️ Rep. Gary Palmer criticizes the rhetoric surrounding proposed budget changes, stating that people are enraged by misinformation.
• ⚠️ He emphasizes that legally eligible individuals will not lose their Medicaid coverage, despite claims to the contrary.

Waste and Fraud in Medicaid

• 💰 CMS reported $543 billion in improper payments between 2015 and 2024, representing significant waste and fraud.
• 🎯 This improper spending could have been allocated to individuals who genuinely need Medicaid coverage, medicine, and treatment.
• 📈 Some reports suggest that the total amount of waste and fraud could exceed one trillion dollars.

Medicaid Expansion and Work Requirements

• 🚫 Over 700,000 people in traditional Medicaid are on waiting lists, particularly in expansion states, due to being pushed aside.
• 🧑‍💼 They are being displaced by able-bodied adults who choose not to work, despite the fact that 92% of able-bodied adults are already working.
• ❓ Palmer questions the opposition to work requirements when the majority of these adults are already employed.

Goal: Making Medicaid Work

• ✅ The primary objective is to save Medicaid and ensure it functions effectively for those it is intended to serve.
• 💡 The focus is on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse to better serve the people who need Medicaid.