Republican Lawmakers Propose $28 B Anti-Fraud Initiative for Medicare and Medicaid

Chairman Jodey Arrington warned that federal fraud, especially in health care, has escalated to a crisis, referencing a Government Accountability Office estimate of over $500 billion annually. He and a bipartisan group of representatives introduced the Anti-Fraud Fund Act of 2026, which would increase funding for the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program by $7 billion each year through 2030, totaling $28 billion.

The money would support attorneys, investigators, and advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence to detect fraud before payments are made. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the investment could generate at least $168 billion in net savings over a decade, roughly a $7 return per dollar. Arrington emphasized the need for more personnel, modern IT systems, and greater state accountability, proposing penalties for states with high improper-payment rates. He argued that the investment would reduce the federal deficit and protect taxpayer dollars from criminal schemes targeting Medicare, Medicaid, and related programs.