((The hill) – Representatives of the Ministry of State Efficiency (Doge) by billionaire Elon Musk focused on the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency confirmed on Wednesday.
It was unclear which systems are to deal with and whether sensitive medical information was part of the efforts.
The Wall Street Journal Former reported on Wednesday The helpers of Doge were granted access to essential payment and contract systems.
The CMS did not respond to a request for clarification.
“CMS has two high -ranking agency veterans -one geared towards guidelines and operations that lead to working with Doge, including securing an appropriate access to CMS systems and technology,” said the agency in a statement. “We are pursuing a thoughtful approach to see where there are opportunities for more efficient and efficient use of resources that match the achievement of President Trump’s goals.”
The CMS is essentially the insurer of the federal government. The agency defines payment rates for doctors, hospitals and insurers and at the same time monitors Medicare, Medicaid, the pediatric health insurance program and the Affordable Care Act programs that cover more than 150 million people.
The CMS spent more than 1.5 trillion dollars in 2024, around 22 percent of federal expenditure. Legislators often say that the enormous amount of expenses for health programs of fraud and abuse is widespread, even though non -partisan efforts to contain medicar expenses have come across political counter -reactions over the years.
Musk confirmed his interest in the health authority on Wednesday. Posting on the social platform X This Medicare was “where the big money fraud takes place”. He gave no evidence.
Doge Aides has classified the federal government in the federal government and triggered control over agencies as part of a mandate to reduce at least 1 trillion dollar in federal expenses, most recently in the finance department and the US Agency for International Development. You have requested and received access to highly sensitive information that alarms triggered under Democrats and government employees.
The Republicans have largely supported the movements of DGEs and described them constant efforts in order to eradicate fraudulent expenses from federal civil servants.
“Obviously, the private health information of all private has to be private, but I think you need access and to see where we can be more efficient and more effective. CMS was spent a lot of money, ”Brett Guthrie (R-Ky), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told reporters on Wednesday.
President Trump nominated the celebrity doctor and failed the Senate candidate Mehmet OZ to lead the CMS, but he has not yet been confirmed.
In an explanation in which his election was announced in November, Trump said that OZ was “waste and fraud in the most expensive government agency in our country, a third of our country’s health expenditure and a quarter of our entire state budget”.
