Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has made combating fraud a centerpiece of his administration. Trump has said he will target fraud in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs, and his Republican allies in Congress have made combating fraud a key argument in their plans to slash Medicaid. Trump also has empowered the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to make massive cuts to government spending, often claiming to snuff out fraud and waste in the process.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s present-day crackdown starkly contrasts with his history of showing leniency to convicted fraudsters. In his first and second terms, Trump has granted pardons or commutations to at least 68 people convicted of fraud crimes or interfering with fraud investigations, according to a KFF Health News review of court and clemency records, Department of Justice press releases, and news reports. At least 13 of those fraudsters were convicted in cases involving more than $1.6 billion in fraudulent claims filed with Medicare and Medicaid, according to the DOJ.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In interviews with KFF Health News, two experts on health care fraud said that Trump\u2019s claimed focus appears to be a pretext for slashing spending that was legally appropriated by Congress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s been the focal point to date of the administration is not what anybody has ever referred to as health care fraud,\u201d said Jacob Elberg, a former assistant U.S. attorney and law professor at Seton Hall University. \u201cThere is a real blurring \u2014 a seemingly intentional blurring \u2014 between what is actually fraud and what is just spending that they are not in favor of.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jerry Martin, who served as a U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee under President Barack Obama and now represents health care fraud whistleblowers, said Trump\u2019s stepped-up interest may embolden informants to come forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had clients repeat back to me \u2018President Trump says fraud is a priority,\u2019\u201d Martin said. \u201cPeople are listening to it. But I don\u2019t know that what he\u2019s saying translates into what they believe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even so, Trump\u2019s past leniency to fraudsters might discourage the Justice Department from pursuing the whistleblowers\u2019 claims, Martin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of rank-and-file people who are operating at the lowest point in their professional careers, where they\u2019ve seen a lot of their work essentially be water under the bridge,\u201d Martin said. \u201cThat\u2019s got to be really demoralizing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
KFF Health News<\/a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF\u2014an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF<\/a>.<\/p>\nUSE OUR CONTENT<\/h3>\n