Medicaid fraud in California is far worse than you think

Nypost · 🇺🇸 public United States · Jun 08, 2026 · 860 words · By Hayden Dublois; Trevor Carlsen

Government Waste and Fraud Federal vs State Accountability Welfare Program Reform

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What to know about Government Waste and Fraud

Medicaid fraud in California is far worse than you think See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 5

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center0%

Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Medicaid fraud in California is far worse than you think See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The California Post on GoogleIf there’s a ground zero for Medicaid fraud in America, Los Angeles is giving Minneapolis a run for its money.

Common ground

Six months after news broke of massive Medicaid theft in Minnesota’s largest city, it’s now clear that fraud is just as rampant in the California metropolis, if not worse.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Causal Oversimplification, Doubt: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Government Waste and Fraud story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that in Illinois, more than a quarter of the state’s Medicaid providers haven’t been reviewed in the past five years?
How does this story connect Government Waste and Fraud with Federal vs State Accountability over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/06/08/opinion/medicaid-fraud-in-california-is-far-worse-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 5 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 100% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Causal Oversimplification 80% confidence

Assuming a single cause for a complex issue.

Why it matters: Recognizing causal oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Doubt 80% confidence

Questioning the credibility of a source or claim without providing evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing doubt helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 90% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Glittering Generalities 70% confidence

Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.

Why it matters: Recognizing glittering generalities helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5

info Single Source 4

check_circle Corroborated 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

info

Claim 1: “in Illinois, more than a quarter of the state’s Medicaid providers haven’t been reviewed in the past five years.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is explicitly stated in one web search result ('Medicaid fraud in California is far worse than you think'), but no other independent source corroborates this specific statistic for Illinois.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and informally known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordable_Care_Act

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers the Medicare program and works in partner…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Medicare_&_Medicai…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicaid

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “In Connecticut, the error rate is 43%.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “Arizona told us it has only suspended a single Medicaid provider for suspected fraud this year.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results for Arizona provide general geographic and tourism information but contain no mention of Medicaid provider suspensions.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Arizona is the sixth-largest state by area and the 14th-most-populous of the 50 states. It is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on Febru…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Arizona is a landlocked state situated in the southwestern region of the United States of America. It has a vast and diverse geography famous for its deep canyons, high- and low-elevation deserts, num…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Arizona

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Discover Arizona's Grand Canyon, Sedona red rocks, Monument Valley & more. Plan outdoor adventures, cultural experiences & unforgettable trips.
https://www.visitarizona.com/

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Claim 4: “The Trump administration announced this month that 800 Los Angeles hospice and home health providers — which heavily depend on Medicaid dollars — have been suspended from federal funding.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results from April and May 2026 confirm that the Trump administration suspended 800 hospice programs in the Los Angeles area due to suspected fraud.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — $Trump (stylized in all caps) is a meme coin cryptocurrency associated with United States president Donald Trump, hosted on the Solana blockchain. One billion coins were created; 800 million remain ow…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/$Trump

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — During his second presidency, Donald Trump ordered deployments of National Guard troops to select U.S. cities in 2025 and certain deployments have continued into 2026. Trump has given multiple explana…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_military_deployments_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — TrumpRx is a prescription drug website operated by the United States federal government. It was launched in February 2026 by the second Trump administration, with the stated purpose of offering the wo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TrumpRx

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “The most reliable federal information indicates that over 27% of all Medicaid payments are improper — i.e., lost to waste, fraud and abuse.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 6: “States have effectively thrown away $1.1 trillion in Medicaid payments over the last decade, a full 80% of which are due to eligibility errors.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 7: “About a third of all hospice providers in America are in Los Angeles County, despite the county having less than 3% of the national population.”

CORROBORATED

One web search result explicitly states 'Roughly a third of all hospice centers are in LA!', and another mentions that LA providers account for 'nearly a fifth' (though the 'one-third' claim is explicitly mirrored in the search results).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The climate of Los Angeles is mild to hot year-round, and mostly dry. It is classified as borderline Mediterranean and semi-arid. The city is characterized by seasonal changes in rainfall—with a dry s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Los_Angeles

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On June 6, 2025, protests began in Los Angeles after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided locations in the region to arrest individuals allegedly involved in illegal immigration to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2025_Los_Angeles_protests…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Los Angeles County, sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is a county in the U.S. state of California, in the southern region of the state. It is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,69…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_County,_California

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 8: “California’s health regulator only referred 127 Medicaid providers for fraud investigation between January and March.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this claim.

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Claim 9: “Ohio has the dubious honor of misspending the highest percentage of Medicaid funding — a shocking 44.3%.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 10: “After those 800 providers were banned from federal funding, fewer than 20 asked the Trump administration to reconsider.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results (YouTube music, BC government processes, and LA airport info). No evidence was found regarding the number of reconsideration requests.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The modern history of Los Angeles began in 1781 when 44 settlers from central New Spain (modern Mexico) established a permanent settlement in what is now Downtown Los Angeles, as instructed by Spanish…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Los_Angeles

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, and the largest in California, with a metropolitan area population of over 12 million. Los Angeles has the largest skyline in California an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_L…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX) is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_International_Airp…

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 11: “Wisconsin has only suspended payments to 55 providers over the past five years.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this claim.

verified

Claim 12: “The administration says that half the city’s hospices are fraudulent”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While evidence confirms a massive fraud crisis in Los Angeles hospices and that Trump and Newsom agree it is a problem, no source explicitly confirms the specific claim that the administration stated 'half the city's hospices are fraudulent'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election will be held on November 3, 2026 to elect the mayor of Los Angeles, California. A nonpartisan top-two primary was held on June 2, 2026. Incumbent mayor Karen Bass…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Los_Angeles_mayoral_elect…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles is a public golf club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California with a 7,242-yard (6,622 m) course originally designed by Pete Dye, and redesigned by Donald Trump and To…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_National_Golf_Club,_Los_…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 13: “The situation is even worse in DC, where the most reliable data shows that 36% of Medicaid spending is misspent.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 14: “In one case, the state failed to revalidate a Medicaid provider for nearly 10 years.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that the state failed to revalidate a provider for nearly 10 years is explicitly mentioned in one web search result, but not corroborated by others.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — programs to revalidate all actively enrolled Medicaid providers at least every five ... Failure to revalidate will result in a provider being removed from ...
https://www.aetnabetterhealth.com/content/dam/aetna/medicaid…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 11, 2026 ... ... Medicaid programs to revalidate all actively enrolled providers at least every 5 years. ... revalidate until they receive an email ...
https://medsolercm.com/blog/medicaid-il-provider-enrollment

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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 21, 2026 ... These initiatives are meant to curb fraud in Medicaid that topped $37 billion last year according to an April 2018 report from the GAO. Read ...
https://www.facebook.com/WVTM13/posts/cms-will-ask-all-50-st…

info

Claim 15: “In Michigan and Georgia, the state is only checking about 10% of providers a year.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that Michigan and Georgia only check about 10% of providers a year is explicitly mentioned in one web search result, but not corroborated by others.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In one case, the state failed to revalidate a Medicaid provider for nearly 10 years. In Michigan and Georgia, the state is only checking about 10% of providers a year. But that makes it impossible to …
https://nypost.com/2026/06/08/opinion/medicaid-fraud-in-cali…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — You can use this tool to find and compare different types of Medicare providers (like physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, and others). Use our maps and filters to help you identify providers that ar…
https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Log in to your existing benefits accounts to review or update your profile.
https://benefits.maryland.gov/home/

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.