{"id":700869,"date":"2026-06-13T02:18:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T02:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/700869\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T02:18:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T02:18:09","slug":"staged-medicaid-providers-busted-as-desantis-says-136m-recovered-and-3200-cut-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/700869\/","title":{"rendered":"Staged ‘Medicaid providers’ busted as DeSantis says $136M recovered and 3,200 cut off"},"content":{"rendered":"

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 Governor Ron DeSantis <\/a>spoke Friday in West Palm Beach<\/a> alongside Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Shevaun Harris<\/a>, outlining new actions to combat Medicaid fraud while highlighting the state\u2019s budget priorities and touching on a range of other policy issues.<\/p>\n

The press conference, held at the Health Care District of Palm Beach County<\/a>, followed a media advisory announcing the event but not specifying its focus ahead of time. <\/p>\n

DeSantis said Florida is preparing for another year of reduced spending, continuing a multi-year trend.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo when you count everything, it’s about $800 million more than in the current year. We’re spending less this year than we did last year and less last year than the year before. So I want to keep that trend going,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cSo we’re going to be having to do some line item vetoes, get that budget underneath the level of the current year.\u201d<\/p>\n

The governor said the approach would mark \u201cfour straight years where we have had the budget be reduced in the state of Florida,\u201d calling it beneficial for taxpayers and government efficiency.<\/p>\n

He also pointed to what he described as a \u201chistoric debt reduction program,\u201d saying, \u201cSince 1840s until the present, the amount of taxpayer-supported debt that Florida has accumulated, just in my tenure, we’ve retired 50% of that for the whole of Florida’s history.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeSantis added that the state has increased reserves significantly, saying the rainy day fund \u201chas been quadrupled,\u201d putting Florida in a stronger position for economic downturns.<\/p>\n

On taxes, the governor highlighted several relief measures, including a back-to-school sales tax holiday and permanent exemptions for certain preparedness items.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are now in hurricane season,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cI would urge folks to take advantage of our disaster preparedness tax breaks and make sure that you’re prepared. You never know.\u201d<\/p>\n

The primary focus of the event centered on Medicaid fraud prevention efforts in Florida, particularly in South Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are rolling out new major actions to continue to strengthen the integrity of Florida’s program and to crack down on fraud,\u201d DeSantis said.<\/p>\n

Those actions include a new pilot program with identity fraud detection company SentiLink to identify suspicious providers before they begin billing the state. The state will also conduct enhanced screening of providers and implement enrollment moratoriums on certain high-risk categories, including durable medical equipment suppliers and adult daycare providers.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor far too long, we’ve relied on a pay and chase model where fraudulent claims are paid first, and then investigated years later,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cThat approach is costly, that approach is inefficient, and ultimately it’s not fair to taxpayers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harris detailed how fraud has appeared locally, including in West Palm Beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than a dozen entities presenting themselves as Medicaid providers were in fact staged operations,\u201d Harris said. \u201cThey were created for one purpose only, to steal from the state and from a program designed to support our most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said investigators discovered warning signs such as shared addresses, questionable ownership structures, and a lack of actual patient care.<\/p>\n

In one case, Harris said, \u201cThe neighbor said when they started their operation, they came in, they decorated, they were there for maybe a week or so, and we haven’t seen them since.\u201d<\/p>\n

To address the issue, the Agency for Health Care Administration will require all Medicaid providers to undergo a revalidation process over the next 12 to 24 months and verify their credentials and identities. Harris said those who fail to comply will be removed from the program.<\/p>\n

See also: It\u2019s not just gross: Seaweed buildup can pose health risks on South Florida beaches<\/a><\/p>\n

Over the past two years, the agency has \u201cterminated or denied enrollment to more than 3,200 providers,\u201d while recovering more than $136 million tied to fraud and abuse, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have one message for those who aim to fabricate their provider credentials, hide behind a shell company, or steal from Florida’s most vulnerable residents,\u201d Harris said. \u201cWe’re coming for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both officials acknowledged that South Florida has long been a hotspot for fraud activity, though the new measures are being applied statewide.<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Ron DeSantis is scheduled to hold a press conference Friday afternoon in West Palm Beach, according to a media advisory released by the Governor\u2019s Press Office. (WPEC)<\/p>\n

DeSantis also used the event to discuss insurance reforms, pointing to changes in litigation practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason why that’s happening is that the market has changed because we did the litigation reform,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added that Florida previously \u201cwas said to have 8% of the claims nationwide, but represent 78% of the litigation expenses nationwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

The governor also addressed upcoming political debates, criticizing the participation criteria.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, there should be a debate,\u201d DeSantis said, adding the current process is \u201ccounterproductive when you try to engineer an outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeSantis also referenced Palm Beach County Commissioner Sara Baxter <\/a>while discussing local government spending and property taxes, noting, \u201cSarah’s my friend,\u201d as he emphasized that his policy position was not personal but focused on broader fiscal trends.<\/p>\n

He said residents are increasingly concerned about rising local taxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople want relief from property taxes,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cHow can we make a meaningful impact? Well, we’ve done a lot in the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed to the growth in local government revenue.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look statewide in 2019, local property tax revenue <\/a>to various all local government things was $32 billion. Today it’s $60 billion,\u201d DeSantis said.<\/p>\n

He argued that growth is unsustainable and suggested additional measures may be needed to limit spending increases.<\/p>\n

Throughout the event, DeSantis emphasized fiscal restraint, fraud prevention, and taxpayer relief, while also touching on broader issues including insurance markets, healthcare costs, political processes, and hurricane preparedness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 Governor Ron DeSantis spoke Friday in West Palm Beach alongside Agency for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":700870,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[97,252,253],"class_list":["post-700869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health-care","tag-health","tag-health-care","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=700869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700869\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/700870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=700869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=700869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=700869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}