Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is quickly expanding its reach through the federal government.It recently accessed systems at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Musk and his team now are looking at key payment and contracting systems for Medicare and Medicaid.That was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.On X, Musk said he believes quote "big money fraud is happening." Medicare insures older people. Medicaid offers insurance to low income people and those with disabilities.These two health insurance programs serve tens of millions of people, and they consume a huge part of federal and state budgets. So how could DOGE impact these services? For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.orgEmail us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
How is Elon Musk's DOGE involved with Medicare and Medicaid?
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is quickly expanding its reach through the federal government. It recently accessed systems at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Musk and his team are now looking at key payment and contracting systems for Medicare and Medicaid. That was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
On X, Musk said he believes, quote, big money fraud is happening. In this episode, we'll get to the impact of Doge operating at CMS. But first, a quick reminder of what these programs actually do. Medicare insures older people. Medicaid offers insurance to low-income people and those with disabilities. Consider this.
These two health insurance programs serve tens of millions of people, and they consume a huge part of federal and state budgets. So how could Doge impact these services? From NPR, I'm Ari Shapiro. It's Consider This from NPR. Medicare provides health care to 66 million people who are 65 and older. Medicaid serves 80 million low-income people and disabled Americans.
To understand how Elon Musk's Department of Government efficiency might impact those services, we've invited two former senior government officials to join us. Kathleen Sebelius was Health and Human Services Secretary under President Obama. And Mark McClellan was Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator under President George W. Bush. Good to have you both here. Great to be with you, Ari.
Good to be with you. How big a part of the overall U.S. health care system are these programs?
Well, it's less than half of the population, but roughly half and maybe a little bit more of expenditures because the people in these programs have some of the more serious health care needs, higher rates of chronic diseases that go along with
being from low income and maybe historically underserved backgrounds, higher rates of chronic diseases that go along with aging and the risk factors for many conditions like cancer and other health problems that go up with age.
And Ari, I think it's important that maybe listeners understand that Medicare has a much higher cost per person because of the age of the population. Medicaid is actually one of the most, if you will, by cost, efficient programs for women and children. About half of the births in the United States are paid for by Medicaid.
So Kathleen, when you saw Elon Musk post on X that Medicare and Medicaid were where the big money, in his words, fraud is happening, did that ring true to you? Was that a big concern of yours when you ran HHS?
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