The Trump administration is investigating the spending of democratic states in the Mickeda for immigrants

Sacramento, California – The Trump administration has extended its solid policy in immigration to the General Medical Care Network, where research on the spending on at least six states led by Democrats began.

These countries provide comprehensive medical coverage for poor immigrants and disability that lives in the country without a permanent status of migration.

Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) service centers check the payments that cover the medical interest of people who do not have papers, to ensure that there are no waste, fraud or ill -treatment, according to the general records obtained by KFF Health News and Associated Press.

Although the federal government allows the states to invoke the emergency services and care related to pregnancy for these immigrants, federal officials have sent messages to state health agencies in California, Colorado, Ilinoi, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington, knowing that they are reviewing government and federal payments for other medical services, such as medical medications and specialized care.

The Federal Agency for the states said that these claims have declined as part of its commitment to maintain financial safety in Medicaid.

The main goal is California, after the state has informed the same accusation of the federal government of services provided to immigrants without legal status, by At least 500 million dollarsWhich was born the threat of the request.

According to a message dated March 18, “If CMS determines that California uses federal funds to pay or support medical care for people who have no pathological migration, which is prohibited by federal funding through law … CMS will apply to all compliance strategies available to the United States.”

The research arises during the White House and Congress, which are controlled by Republicans, They cut public spending In the medical care of migrants, through discounts of the President’s Financial and Budget Law on President Donald Trump agreed this summer. Also management It’s promotion The people who live in the country should be eliminated without papers from Medicaid.

Health policy experts warn that these measures can make access to medical care and departure Perception from the financial point of view To hospitals, clinics and other suppliers who represent part of the safety net.

Some countries led by Democrats – as California, Illinois YenisotaThey have already had to reduce or end their Medicaid programs for immigrants due to increased costs. Colorado also studies excess expenses.

At the same time, 20 states They are demanding To the federal government Data delivery From medicaid of millions of beneficiaries of immigration authorities. Federal judge Temporarily This work. Rob Punta, the California Prosecutor, who leads this challenge, argues that the Trump administration launched a political attack against countries that include immigrants in their Medicaid programs.

“The idea that there is Malgastu, fraud and abuse were invented,” Punta said. “It is an excuse. It is a general phrase they use to justify its pre -determined agenda.

The demographic group in Trump’s scenes

Immigrants who do not have a permanent migration are not eligible to reach the full medical coverage of Medikid. However, the states of the federal government bill can obtain emergency care and services related to pregnancy provided to anyone.

Fourteen states, Washington, DetainThey have sought their Medicaid programs with their own money to cover low -income children without papers. Seven of these states, in addition to the capital, also provides comprehensive coverage of some of the migrant adults living in the country without permission.

The Trump administration seems to focus exclusively on countries that offer full medical coverage for both children and adults without papers. For example, Utah, Massachusetts and Contecticut, which They only cover immigrant childrenThey did not receive messages. CMS refused to submit a full list in the states under investigation.

Federal officials argue that they have their right and legal responsibility to study whether the states are using medical aid boxes to cover the medical interest of migrants, and to ensure that they are taking “decisive measures to stop them.”

“It is the issue of a national interest that some states exceeded the limits of the medical aid law by providing wide benefits to people who are illegally in the United States,” said Catherine Hoden, a CMS spokeswoman, referring to the audit in specific states. This scrutiny seeks to “make sure that federal funds are intended for legally qualified persons, not for the political experiences that violate the law,” he said.

Researchers in health and economic policies claim that providing medical coverage for immigrants for preventive services and treating chronic diseases can avoid the main expenses in the future. It also helps to contain the increase in insurance premiums and reduces unpaid care in hospitals and clinics.

Francisco Silva, President and CEO of California Primary Care AssociationI warned that the Trump administration allows access to health services and raise costs.

Silva said: “The effect will be that the emergency rooms will be saturated, and ambulances must be transferred and that people who suffer from real emergency situations have not been able to enter the hospital, in addition to the risks of public health such as outbreaks.”

California adopted an approach Medical care for everyoneAnd it provides health coverage to 1.6 million immigrants without legal status. The expansion, which was implemented between 2016 and 2024, is estimated to cost $ 12.4 billion this year. Of this total, $ 1.3 billion is funded by the Federal Emergency and pregnancy services government.

During the implementation of the expansion, California carried out federal government bills by wrongly for the services provided to immigrants without legal status, according to the details that were not previously reported, which were shared by former Federal officials with the KFF Health News and Associated Press. The state is incorrectly accused of services such as mental health care and addiction, prescribed medications and dental care.

Gasi Cooper, who was the manager of Medicaid in California between 2020 and 2023, said he had discovered the error and informed him of the federal organizations. Cooper said the state is working to compensate for at least $ 500 million set by the federal government.

“Once I identified the problem, I thought it was very important to report it, and we did it,” Cooper said. “We take waste, fraud and abuse seriously.”

It is not clear whether this money has already been returned. The government agency at Medicaid says it does not know how CMS calculated unjustified payments or “what is included in this amount, what is the period that it covers, and if it is already returned or not.”

California has a very complex medical program: serves the largest population in the country – 15 million peopleWith a budget 200,000 million dollars For this fiscal year.

Matt Salo, the national expert on the Medicaid program, said that these types of errors occur throughout the country, because the program is full of rules overlapping between federal governments. Salo and other analysts agree that the states have the authority to manage their Medicaid programs because they consider them suitable and correct the improper use of federal funds.

For his part, Michael Canon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute – a Liberalia Terardan Center – said that the Trump administration’s actions “persecute an unpopular minority for those in power.”

“The Trump administration cannot say that this effort is related to maintaining the financial integrity of the Medicaid program,” Canon said. “There are much greater threats to Medicaid’s financial integrity, so this argument is not supported.”

Less, or nothing, coverage of immigrants

At the national level, the Republicans participated in health spending of migrants from different fronts.

The Republican Party Budget Law, which Trump calls “the great and beautiful law” (a great, beautiful bill), will reduce payment To states As of October 2026, for example, in California, federal funds for emergency services for immigrants will become 50 % legal status, compared to the current 90 % of the population covered by Medicid’s expansion.

The Trump administration is also working to reduce medical coverage for migrants with a previously covered legal status, and Announced in August Which will be sent to the monthly reports of the states that emerge for the beneficiaries who have not been confirmed immigration status by the Ministry of National Security.

“Every evil dollar is a dollar that is removed from a weak and qualified person who needs medicaid,” Mohamed Oz, a CMS official, said in a statement. “This procedure confirms our steadfast commitment to the integrity of the program, protecting public resources and ensuring that advantages are granted exclusively to those eligible under the law.”

Countries under review guarantee that they are compatible with the law.

“The money speaker on the medical advantages program allowed by Congress that helps people receive emergency treatments for cancer, kidney, and two drugs and drugs for organ transplants, in no way, waste, fraud or abuse,” said Mike Fellk, Deputy Director of the State Prosecutor in Washington, Nick Brown.

Records indicate that Medicaid officials in Washington have received many CMS questions about federal payments covering emergency care and pregnancy for immigrants without papers.

E -mail messages reveal that Illinois officials met with CMS and asked to extend their data. The entity deprived them of the application and warned them that their financing can be kept.

“Thousands of Illinois residents rely on these programs to receive cash medical attention without fear of deportation,” said Melissa Kola, a spokeswoman for the state, said the state.

Sharesteri mentioned from Milwoki.

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This story was produced by Kaiser Health NewsWhich is published California HealthyinIndependent editorial service for California Health Care Corporation.