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Vice President\u00a0JD Vance has announced a series of measures to combat fraud in federal health programs, including a significant deferral of $1.3 billion in Medicaid funding to California.<\/p>\n
Vance, acting as the fraud czar<\/a>, highlighted California\u2019s perceived lax approach to fraud as the reason behind the move. The administration is freezing some new Medicare enrollments for six months and urging all 50 states to investigate Medicaid fraud or face potential funding cuts.<\/p>\n Don’t Miss:<\/p>\n The Vice President said Medicaid fraud in California is harming both taxpayers and patients, alleging that fraudsters have pushed unnecessary prescriptions and medications onto people who did not need them.<\/p>\n “And if we continue to find problems, we can turn off other resources within their state Medicaid programs as well,\u201d warned Vance.<\/p>\n CMS Flags California Spending<\/p>\n Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of\u00a0the Centers for Medicare and\u00a0Medicaid Services (CMS), stated that the administration requires\u00a0California to clarify $630 million\u00a0in billing, $500 million in\u00a0home health services, and $200 million in \u201cquestionable expenditures\u201d\u00a0linked to coverage for undocumented\u00a0immigrants.<\/p>\n Dr. Oz also announced that CMS will pause new Medicare enrollments for hospices and home health agencies for six months as part of anti-fraud efforts. During the moratorium, CMS will strengthen investigations, use advanced data analytics, and speed up the removal of providers suspected of fraud from the Medicare program.<\/p>\n Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your \u2018Safe’ Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time<\/a><\/p>\n Newsom Defends Program<\/p>\n California Governor Gavin Newsom\u2018s office defended the state’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program against criticism from Vance and Oz, arguing the initiative helps seniors and people with disabilities avoid costly nursing homes. Newsom said IHSS costs about $30,000 per year per person, compared to $137,000 annually for nursing home care, saving taxpayers roughly $107,000 per person.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hate fraud. But that’s NOT what this is,\u201d wrote the governor\u2019s office. \u201cVance and Oz are attacking programs that keep seniors and people with disabilities OUT of nursing homes. Pretty sick,\u201d it wrote.<\/p>\n We hate fraud. But that’s NOT what this is. <\/p>\n Vance and Oz are attacking programs that keep seniors and people with disabilities OUT of nursing homes. Pretty sick.<\/p>\n Why has IHSS grown in California? It’s simple: Because California is keeping more people OUT of far more expensive\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/bzmHwR8IMi<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) May 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n See Also: Skip the Regrets: The Essential Retirement Tips Experts Wish Everyone Knew Earlier.<\/a><\/p>\n Trump Admin Escalates California Fight<\/p>\n In February, Vance and Oz announced a similar move in Minnesota. The administration paused $259.5 million in reimbursements, including $244 million tied to potentially fraudulent or unsupported claims and $15 million linked to individuals lacking satisfactory immigration status. Officials said 14 high-risk programs, such as autism services and non-emergency transportation, are being reviewed.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the medicare pause is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration involving California. In March, the administration\u00a0sued the state\u00a0over its emissions goals. Furthermore, in September, the administration\u00a0launched Medicaid spending probes\u00a0targeting California’s $12.4 billion immigrant healthcare program.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, California, along with three other Democratic-led states,\u00a0filed a federal lawsuit\u00a0to block the Trump administration’s $600 million healthcare funding cuts, claiming that the funding cuts were illegal and driven by political disputes unrelated to public health, including disagreements over federal immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n Image via Shutterstock<\/p>\n Read Next: Think you’re saving enough for your kids? You might be dangerously off \u2014 see why<\/a><\/p>\n Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market<\/p>\n Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, professional financial guidance, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. 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With strong revenue growth, expanding enterprise contracts, and a Nasdaq ticker reserved under $RADI, RAD Intel is opening access to its Regulation A+ offering, giving investors exposure to the growing intersection of AI, marketing, and creator economy infrastructure.<\/p>\n Immersed<\/p>\n Immersed is a spatial computing company building immersive productivity software that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens inside VR and mixed-reality environments. <\/a>Its platform is used by remote workers and enterprises to create virtual workspaces that reduce reliance on traditional physical hardware while improving focus and collaboration. The company is also developing its own lightweight VR headset and AI productivity tools, positioning itself in the future-of-work and spatial computing space. Through its pre-IPO offering, Immersed is opening access to early-stage investors looking to diversify beyond traditional assets and gain exposure to emerging technologies shaping how people work.<\/p>\n Connect Invest<\/p>\n Connect Invest is a real estate investment platform that allows investors to access short-term, fixed-income opportunities backed by a diversified portfolio of residential and commercial real estate loans. <\/a>Through its Short Notes structure, investors can choose defined terms (6, 12, or 24 months) and earn monthly interest payments while gaining exposure to real estate as an asset class. For investors focused on diversification, Connect Invest may serve as one component within a broader portfolio that also includes traditional equities, fixed income, and other alternative assets\u2014helping balance exposure across different risk and return profiles.<\/p>\n rHealth<\/p>\n rHealth is building a space-tested diagnostics platform designed to bring lab-quality blood testing closer to patients in minutes rather than weeks<\/a>. Originally validated in collaboration with NASA for use aboard the International Space Station, the technology is now being adapted for at-home and point-of-care settings to address widespread delays in diagnostic access.<\/p>\n Backed by institutions including NASA and the NIH, rHealth is targeting the large global diagnostics market with a multi-test platform and a model built around devices, consumables, and software. With FDA registration in progress, the company is positioning itself as a potential shift toward faster, more decentralized healthcare testing.<\/p>\n Arrived<\/p>\n Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100<\/a>. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.<\/p>\n Masterworks<\/p>\n Masterworks enables investors to diversify into blue-chip art, an alternative asset class with historically low correlation to stocks and bonds<\/a>. Through fractional ownership of museum-quality works by artists like Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso, investors gain access without the high costs or complexities of owning art outright. With hundreds of offerings and strong historical exits on select works, Masterworks adds a scarce, globally traded asset to portfolios seeking long-term diversification.<\/p>\n Lightstone<\/p>\n Lightstone DIRECT gives accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily real estate opportunities backed by a vertically integrated operator with more than $12 billion in assets under management and a 40-year track record.<\/a> With more than 25,000 multifamily units nationwide \u2014 including significant exposure to low-supply Midwest markets where rent growth has remained resilient \u2014 Lightstone is positioning investors to benefit from tightening housing supply, strong occupancy trends, and long-term rental demand. Through Lightstone DIRECT, individuals can co-invest alongside the firm, which commits at least 20% to each deal, offering exposure to professionally managed multifamily assets designed to generate durable income and long-term appreciation beyond the traditional stock market.<\/p>\n AdviserMatch<\/p>\n