Three Key Takeaways:
- Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have identified Medicaid as a major source of fraud, particularly with the expansion under Obamacare, which included able-bodied childless adults who may not meet the original criteria.
- Republican Congressman Greg Murphy, a physician, exposed instances of individuals falsely claiming disability to remain on Medicaid, pointing out the system’s inefficiencies and the need for work requirements to prevent fraud.
- Efforts to implement work requirements in Medicaid have gained traction, with some states like Arkansas attempting to enforce them, though legal challenges and Biden’s cancellation of waivers have hindered progress.
Elon Musk is hunting down government waste and fraud.
He hit the jackpot.
And Elon Musk was on red alert when a Republican doctor blew the whistle on this scam.
House Republican gives a dire warning about Medicaid
Medicaid was originally designed for the elderly, the disabled, and pregnant women with low incomes.
Obamacare expanded Medicaid to include able-bodied childless adults.
This expansion added tens of millions of new recipients to Medicaid.
Representative Greg Murphy (R-NC) is one of about a dozen House Republicans who are doctors.
Murphy, a former medical school professor, discussed the push by Republican states to put work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid during an appearance on Newsmax’s Finnerty.
“The Congressional Budget Office estimates the work requirement would save around $140 billion over the next 10 years,” host Rob Finnerty said. “That’s a lot of money. That’s a good place to start. What does that mean?”
Murphy said that in his practice he had seen patients who were able-bodied on Medicaid.
“I still see patients, so this is very real to me,” Murphy said. “I see a fair number of individuals who are on Medicaid and I can give you two instances – happened on the same day about six weeks ago in the office.”
The doctor pointed to patients who are covered by Medicaid because of its expansion under Obamacare.
“One was a 35-year-old on Medicaid, and he was on disability,” Murphy explained. “And he was no more disabled than you or I. And another one was a 48-year-old woman that was disabled because she couldn’t hear. But she could hear me ask the questions and she had hearing aids in. These are difficult challenges to overcome, but there’s no reason somebody should be on Medicaid disabled and not working.”
Push to put work requirements in Medicaid grows
Finnerty asked Murphy if he thought the two patients he mentioned should be on Medicaid.
“Medicaid is the one that that does disabilities,” Murphy explained. “No, I don’t personally think they’re disabled. And I’ve seen this time after time again, working the system. And sometimes physicians, physicians are guilty of putting people on disability who shouldn’t be. And I’ve seen also patients who should be who are not. So, the system really is broken, and thank God we have a president with an attitude towards fixing it.”
13 Republican states got waivers from the first Trump administration to put work requirements as a condition for Medicaid for able-bodied adults.
Only Arkansas managed to implement its work requirement program, which resulted in 18,000 people losing coverage.
The state was successfully sued and had to drop its work requirement.
Former President Joe Biden canceled all of the waivers for a work requirement.
More Republican states are looking at it again with Trump back in the White House.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have identified Medicaid as a major source of fraud.
Returning Medicaid to being a program for the truly needy would help them and get the deficit under control.
We Want to Hear From You!
Your voice matters, and we’re here to amplify it. Whether you agree or disagree with Renewed Right’s coverage, we invite you to share your thoughts with our community.
Submit your Letter to the Editor today!
Please send your letters, up to 300 words, to [email protected] and let us know what’s on your mind. We look forward to reading your perspectives and featuring your opinions in our weekly editorial edition!