This is 'political patronage' at the expense of Medicaid: Dr. Oz
CMS Administrator Dr. Oz criticizes Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over his handling of fraud allegations and more on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’
Dr. Mehmet Oz put the state of Minnesota on notice, sending a letter to inform Gov. Tim Walz of plans to audit Medicaid bills for 14 programs flagged as problematic and claw back any funds necessary.
"What we have learned so far in Minnesota is just the tip of the iceberg, perhaps the largest Medicaid scam ever, taking place throughout the state in many different fashions," Oz told Laura Ingraham on Tuesday.
"But just alone with the things that we're concerned about, we're talking about $500 million or more of money that could be in places that we are not even sure how it was billed, where it went, people having trouble tracking it," he added.
JAMES COMER TO ACCUSE TIM WALZ OF BEING 'ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL' AT FRAUD HEARING
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz speaks during an announcement at the Department of Health and Human Services on Dec. 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. (left); Tim Walz speaks at the Today, Explained live podcast at the Vox Media Podcast Stage presented by Smartsheet at SXSW on Mar. 8, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (right) (Alex Wong/Getty Images (left); Rick Kern/Getty Images for Vox Media)
Oz proceeded to slam the Walz administration, echoing criticism from other allies of President Donald Trump who insist the governor failed to "do [his] job."
"President Trump is very clear on this. He doesn't want 6 million people or less living in Minnesota to have all the fraud that happened in that state paid for by all the other taxpayers in the country…. We're going to demand that they fix those problems, and we're going claw back money to protect the federal taxpayer. Our job is to make sure the most vulnerable are protected," Oz said.
Quality Learning Center in Minnesota was found at the center of an alleged childcare fraud scandal in the state. (Madelin Fuerste / Fox News Channel)
Several schemes targeting the state's Medicaid program and other federally funded programs have come under scrutiny since fraud allegations entered the national spotlight.
Walz, who announced Monday that he would not seek re-election, issued a third-party audit of Medicaid billing through Minnesota's Department of Human Services and paused payments for some services while an audit is underway, according to FOX 9 in St. Paul.
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A spokesperson for Walz recently released a statement addressing the swath of allegations plaguing the state, saying, "The governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud and asked the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action. He has strengthened oversight."
Walz also publicly acknowledged the fraud crisis, saying the situation "is on my watch" and that he is "accountable" for fixing it, even as his administration has questioned some federal estimates regarding the massive scale of the fraud.
Fox News' Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
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