Dr. Mehmet Oz and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine speak at an event in Dublin on May 26, 2026. (Photo courtesy of WEWS)
Federal Medicaid chief Dr. Mehmet Oz is supporting Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine after other state leaders accused him of allowing fraud to run rampant. Allegations of a widespread problem are currently unconfirmed.
Ohio’s home health care program allows people who are aging, ill or disabled to remain in their homes and receive state-paid assistance.
This is a service offered through Medicaid and DeWine stands behind it.
“You are keeping people at home wherever they want,” the governor said.
Over the past week, DeWine has been defending home and community-based services (HCBS). There are many waiver programs for people based on their needs, provided they qualify for Medicaid.
The man seeking to replace DeWine as governor, Vivek Ramaswamy, and other influential Republicans blame DeWine for “failing” to oversee Medicaid.
At a news conference on how he will “crush” Medicaid fraud, Ramaswamy said that “there are people who are cheating the system by claiming they are working when they are not actually working.”
Joined by Ohio Senate President Rob McColley and Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, Ramaswamy said there may be widespread fraud, alleging that some home health care providers paid by Medicaid are not doing their jobs.
Oz, administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said Tuesday with DeWine at an event in Dublin that federal and state governments need to work together to solve the problem.
“We believe that Ohio, like almost every state, can do a better job of doing a better job of guarding the barriers around home health care,” Oz said.
DeWine and his team continue to deny any widespread problem and say he is struggling, citing nearly 1,100 Medicaid fraud convictions since he took office in 2019.
Allegations of Medicaid fraud emerged after the conservative daily The Daily Wire published an article containing rampant but unsubstantiated claims of fraud.
“We don’t want everyone hiring kids to carry groceries up the stairs or driving everyone to the doctor’s office for their appointments,” Oz said.
Family members living with eligible Medicaid beneficiaries may become caregivers. They will need to pass a background check, complete several hours of training, and work with an already accredited Medicaid provider. Payment ranges vary, but some programs pay family caregivers $1,800 per month.
Now some Republicans are wondering why home care is necessary or why it should be so steep. Oz was asked about the reaction DeWine received and whether he believed there was widespread fraud.
“I trust Governor DeWine,” he said.
He added that the governor is doing that job and said there may be gaps in the system due to the lack of uncomplicated flow of data between the federal and state governments. He mentioned the federal anti-fraud task force he is working on with Vice President J.D. Vance.
“Part of it is people taking responsibility, but the guardrails need to be clear about what type of disability will require the state and the federal government to invest money in more home health aides,” Oz said. “I would argue that if you can’t prove it’s necessary, you shouldn’t just give it to others.”
However, even with fraud allegations, the alternative is much more steep. According to state data, home health services cost at least four times less than nursing facilities or long-term care facilities.
“If, for example, everyone in Ohio who receives this type of care, home health care, had to be in a nursing home, it would cost us about $600 million a year,” DeWine said.
Last week, the governor issued an executive order on tools he says will support prevent fraud, such as requiring providers who are at higher risk of committing fraud to confirm registration more frequently.
Still, he is fighting the charges and fighting to continue the program.
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This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and are published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication on other news outlets because it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.
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