On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the Trump administration expanded its efforts to combat Medicaid fraud to Florida, making it the fifth state to face similar scrutiny this year.[1] Head of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Dr. Mehmet Oz sent a request to Florida officials, including Governor Ron DeSantis, for information on how they identify, prevent and address fraud in their state program.[1] Similar requests have already been sent to New York, Minnesota, Maine and California.[1] dr. Oz called Florida a "longtime hotbed of health care fraud" and cited past cases of high-profile fraud schemes that led to criminal charges.[1] State officials were given 30 days to respond to a detailed list of questions.[1] Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier declared that "the Medicaid system is riddled with fraud and abuse" and expressed his willingness to work with Dr. Ozom.[1] CMS has also suspended Medicaid payments in Minnesota due to suspected fraud and will resume them only after the state implements a "comprehensive corrective action plan".[1]