Trending Now - Trump Administration Acknowledges Major Mistake in NY Fraud Claims

WHO:

AP News - President Donald Trump’s administration, Dr. Mehmet Oz (administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Fiscal Policy Institute senior health policy adviser Michael Kinnucan, Cadence Acquaviva (senior public information officer for the New York Department of Health), Nicolette Simmonds (spokesperson for Governor Hochul), Rebecca Antar (director of the health law unit at the Legal Aid Society), Kathleen Downes (Medicaid beneficiary).

WHAT:

AP News - The Trump administration acknowledged a significant error in figures used to justify a fraud probe into New York’s Medicaid program.

AP News - Dr. Mehmet Oz claimed that New York’s Medicaid program provided personal care services to about 5 million people last year, which would be nearly three-fourths of the state’s 6.8 million Medicaid enrollees.

AP News - The actual number of New Yorkers who used those services last year was about 450,000, or between 6% and 7% of total enrollees.

AP News - The Trump administration's investigation into New York is part of a larger effort that includes at least four other states: California, Florida, Maine, and Minnesota.

AP News - Trump signed an executive order to create an anti-fraud task force across federal benefit programs, led by Vice President JD Vance.

AP News - The administration announced a temporary halt of $243 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns.

WHERE:

AP News - New York’s Medicaid program, New York State, Minnesota.

WHEN:

AP News - The error was acknowledged in the week of April 10th, 2026.

AP News - Comments made by Dr. Mehmet Oz regarding the fraud investigation occurred in March 2026.

AP News - A rule change regarding personal care eligibility in New York went into effect in September 2025.

WHY:

AP News - The error undercuts a federal campaign to tackle waste in Medicaid programs, particularly in Democratic-led states.

AP News - Concerns about New York’s oversight of personal care services and the Medicaid program prompted the ongoing probe.

HOW:

AP News - The administration misidentified New York’s approach to applying billing codes and has since refined its methodology.

AP News - The investigation is part of a broader anti-fraud effort as voters express concerns about affordability ahead of the midterm elections.

(UPDATED April 10, 2026 21:14 UTC)

The Trump administration has acknowledged a significant error in the figures used to justify a fraud investigation into New York's Medicaid program, which was revealed in the week of on Friday. Dr. Mehmet Oz stated that the program provided personal care services to about 5 million people last year, but the actual number was closer to 450,000, highlighting concerns about oversight in the state's Medicaid services. This investigation is part of a larger anti-fraud effort that includes several other states and follows Trump's executive order to create a task force led by Vice President JD Vance, as voters express growing concerns about the affordability of healthcare ahead of the midterm elections.