Dr. Mehmet Oz

Assistant U.S.

Attorney Bill Asseli detailing Operation Never Say Die.

Officials say the alleged scheme included defrauding Medicare by billing for end-of-life services that were either unnecessary or never provided.

Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Officials say the annual theft from taxpayers in the nation is estimated to be around $230 billion.

I don't understand tactically what the thought process is, but I must say, and many have said this besides me, but it may have been the best State of the Union address ever by not just the U.S.

president, any president, because it's so beautifully captivated what it means to take care of your people and just speaking.

When we went to Davos, which I joined that delegation, amazingly watching European leaders for the first time actually listened to what the president was saying.

And they started dotting their heads up and down, which is easy to do.

If you watched last night's speech, you'll understand that almost mesmerizing effect of reminding people you're elected to take care of the people who voted for you, not to dance around their issues.

actually go after the problems, deal with them firsthand.

And today we were able to announce as a follow up to the president's commitment yesterday to deal with fraud that we're going to defer two hundred and fifty nine million dollars.

What what Oz is describing right now appears to be against the law from Minnesota because they have not been acting in good faith to protect U.S.

tax dollars and protect the people of Minnesota from deadly fraud against Medicaid in that state.

Dr. Oz says states can use funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program for workforce development, telemedicine, maternity care, and more.

Pennsylvania was awarded $193 million this year.

Oz says he's not concerned about the predicted financial struggles hospitals could face with changes to Medicaid.

The Trump administration plans to cut the federal health care program by more than $900 billion over 10 years.

Changes to Medicaid work requirements begin to take effect in 2027.

For NPR News, I'm Lydia McFarlane in Scranton.