Newsom Blasts Dr. Oz as “Unbelievable” for Stealing Credit on Fraud Fight

The Inquisitr

The Fraud Feud: Newsom Slams Dr. Oz’s "War Room" Tactics Governor Gavin Newsom has officially hit back at #DrOz, dismissing the Administrator's recent high-profile "fraud takedowns" as a calculated PR move. Speaking from #Davos2026, Newsom argued that California’s own investigative units have been doing the "heavy lifting" for years, only for Dr. Oz and the #TrumpAdministration to swoop in and claim victory for the cameras. This #PoliticalClash comes as the #DepartmentOfJustice and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ramp up pressure on states like California to repay billions in alleged #MedicaidOverpayments.  The tension escalated after Dr. Oz conducted a "ride-along" in Los Angeles to highlight #HospiceFraud, a move Newsom’s team labeled as a "staged photo op." While Dr. Oz touts his new #FraudDefenseOperationsCenter and the use of #AI to catch bad actors, Newsom maintains that federal officials are "stealing the playbook" from state-level investigators who have been sounding the alarm on these schemes for a decade. The Governor’s defense of #CaliforniaHealthcare spending has become a focal point of his #AmericaCounterbalance strategy, setting the stage for a massive legal and political showdown over #TaxpayerDollars.  As #BreakingNews outlets track the $1.3 billion demand for #MedicaidRepayment, the feud between Newsom and Oz is becoming the latest proxy war in the #TrumpNewsom rivalry. Is Dr. Oz truly "cleaning up the swamp" of #HealthcareFraud, or is this, as Newsom claims, a "baseless credit-grab" designed to sideline local leaders?  Video Highlights: "Credit-Stealing" Allegations: Why Newsom says the #WhiteHouse is hijacking state investigations.  The Los Angeles "Ride-Along": Inside the controversial tour that sparked the #NewsomOz feud.  The $1.3 Billion Bill: Unpacking the federal demand for #California to repay Medicaid funds.  Fraud War Room: How Dr. Oz’s use of #ArtificialIntelligence is changing #CMS oversight.  #GavinNewsom #DrOz #BreakingNews #MedicareFraud #TrumpAdministration #CaliforniaPolitics #USPolitics #Medicaid #Davos2026 #HealthCareNews #TrumpNews #WhiteHouseUpdate #TaxpayerFraud #CMS #PoliticalFeud

Transcript

00:00California Governor Gavin Newsom's office is pushing back after Dr. Mehmet Oz claimed credit

00:04for investigating large-scale medical fraud in Los Angeles, work the state says was already

00:09underway years before Donald Trump returned to office. Dr. Oz, the former television host

00:15appointed by President Trump to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, posted a video

00:19on Monday alleging that Los Angeles has become a major hub for health care fraud. Oz claimed

00:24billions of dollars were being stolen through hospice and medical billing scams involving

00:27ineligible patients. In the video, Oz said Los Angeles County accounted for roughly $3.5 billion

00:34in hospice and health care fraud. He alleged that foreign gangsters, including Russian and Armenian

00:39criminal groups, were working with doctors willing to submit false claims and bill for services not

00:44provided. Oz described the issue as a priority focus area for CMS and said the Trump administration

00:50would not tolerate taxpayer funds being stolen. Newsom's press office responded on X, calling

00:55Oz's claims, unbelievable, and accusing him of taking credit for anti-fraud efforts that began

01:00well before Trump took office. The governor's office said Newsom signed legislation in October

01:042021 aimed at curbing hospice fraud and abuse. That law banned hospice providers and their agents

01:11from paying recruiters for patient referrals, following reports of vulnerable seniors being targeted

01:15at retirement homes and unknowingly enrolled in hospice care. State officials said the law was

01:21enacted in response to rising fraud in the industry. The governor's office also referenced earlier

01:26statements from Trump, who claimed a fraud investigation into California had begun, without

01:30specifying the type of fraud involved. Newsom's team rejected those claims and said the state

01:35has already blocked more than $125 billion in fraudulent activity and arrested individuals

01:41involved in scams. At a press conference, Oz said he believed around 100 doctors were involved

01:47in the alleged fraud and claimed approximately 100,000 Medicare numbers had been compromised.

01:52Newsom's office again disputed the scale of the claims, pointing to existing enforcement

01:56actions already taken by the state. Drop your thoughts in the comments and don't forget

02:00to like for more breaking political news.

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