Chairman Arrington, Health Care Task Force Chair Blake Moore Introduce Legislation to Prevent Fraud in Government Programs

Chairman Arrington, Health Care Task Force Chair Blake Moore Introduce Legislation to Prevent Fraud in Government Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C.-House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas)joined Health Care Task Force Chair Blake Moore (R-Utah), Rep. Mike Carey (R-Ohio), Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Rep. Addison McDowell (R-N.C.), Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), and Vice Chair Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) to introduce legislation to prevent fraud in government spending and invest in existing anti-fraud programs. The Anti-Fraud Fund Act of 2026 gives federal investigators the personnel and technology needed to identify fraud, put a stop to it, and recover taxpayer dollars.

"$275 million in taxpayer dollars are stolen every day from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. CMS, under the leadership of Dr. Oz and "Fraud Czar" Kim Brandt, has taken this massive fraud head on. The Anti-Fraud Fund Act is a commonsense bill that strengthens CMS's ability to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute health care fraud, ensuring taxpayers' hard-earned dollars never leave the Treasury into a fraudster's hands. Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar stolen from taxpayers and the vulnerable Americans these programs are meant to serve. We owe it to all Americans to restore program integrity, enforce real safeguards, and ensure these programs work for the people who truly need them," Chairman Arrington said.

"The Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program has existed for thirty years, and under the Trump Administration, CMS Administrator Dr. Oz, and Deputy Administrator Kim Brandt, it has proven to be one of the most effective tools to combat fraud in our health care system," Rep. Moore said. "This joint-DOJ-HHS program has a 7:1 return for dollars saved for every dollar spent. I am confident that providing these immediate funds through the Anti-Fraud Fund Act over the next four years will empower Dr. Oz's team to bring accountability to Medicare and Medicaid providers and ensure good stewardship of tax dollars."

"California knows all too well the enormous cost of unchecked fraud. Every dollar stolen from Medicare or Medicaid is a dollar taken from seniors, vulnerable patients, and hardworking taxpayers," Rep. Obernolte said. "The Anti-Fraud Fund Act will give federal investigators the personnel and technology needed to identify fraud sooner, stop bad actors, and recover taxpayer dollars. With an estimated return of seven dollars for every dollar invested, this legislation is a commonsense way to protect our health care programs and restore accountability in government spending."

BACKGROUND

This bill invests $28 billion for the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) Program, with $7 billion allocated annually for fiscal years (FY) 2027 through FY 2030. These additional resources would fund attorneys, agents, technology, and more, for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and partners to go after and prevent fraud in Medicare and Medicaid.

For every dollar invested in anti-fraud measures, there is a return in the form of recouped and halted fraudulent payments. The Congressional Budget Office preliminarily estimates the net savings for this investment would be at least $168 billion over 10 years, with an average ROI of $7 to $1.

Established in 1996, the HCFAC Program serves as the primary federal investment to address health care fraud and abuse through the identification and reduction of improper payments, as well as the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of bad actors. The program is a coordinated effort between the Department of Justice, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

Bill text is available here.