As GOP Cries Fraud, Newsom Backs Medicaid Spending on Housing and Food
13 Jul 20264 min read0 viewsVerified Feed
GIST (Key Takeaways)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana is taking aim at California’s Medicaid program for providing housing assistance, food, and other social services to high-need, low-income patients who tend to rack up big healthcare costs and, he argued, strain taxpayer funds.
This story also ran on San Francisco Chronicle . It can be republished for free . The Republican blasted California during back-to-back political attacks in May, saying the heavily Democratic state is committing “outrageous fraud” and “stealing” by spending state and federal Medicaid money meant for basic medical treatment on unconventional services such as housing and nutrition assistance, gym memberships, and even tribal prayers and, he claimed, exorcisms.
“The California Medicaid program will pay for herbal medicines, meal deliveries. They’ll pay for housing,” Kennedy said. “I don’t know what housing has to do with healthcare.” “California, they’re just setting all kind of records,” he added.
“They’re wild people.” Despite criticism from congressional Republicans and growing scrutiny from the Trump administration, Gov.
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