The Trump administration's anti-fraud task force has uncovered a 7,100% increase in Medicare claims for tissue and organ transplants over six years, leading to a crackdown that has blocked billions in potentially fraudulent payments. Between 2019 and 2025, these claims surged from $200 million to $14.4 billion.
As a result of the increased scrutiny, the task force and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have denied 96% of allograft claims submitted since March. The CMS identified 4,200 suspicious claims totaling $224 million through May of this year. Investigations revealed that fraudulent claims were filed for equipment that was not necessary or ordered, for items more expensive than prescribed, or for equipment that was never delivered.
In addition to transplant-related claims, the agency also targeted fraud within Durable Medical Equipment (DME), which includes items like wheelchairs and hospital beds. Payments to 102 suspected DME suppliers have been suspended, and billing privileges for an additional 725 suppliers have been revoked. A spokesperson for Vice President JD Vance's office stated that aggressive enforcement actions by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services have effectively ended this type of fraud after a moratorium on new DME companies was announced.
The White House Anti-Fraud Task Force, spearheaded by Vice President Vance and involving numerous agencies, has also stopped nearly $220 million in fraudulent skin substitute claims. Administrator for CMS Mehmet Oz highlighted these efforts, emphasizing the commitment to rooting out corruption and protecting vulnerable patients.
Earlier in May, the Justice Department charged 15 individuals in Minnesota, uncovering alleged fraudulent claims exceeding $90 million linked to state-funded assistance programs. Vance announced then that the task force and DOJ had executed a significant takedown of two of the largest Medicaid fraud cases in Minnesota history, as well as the largest federal autism fraud scheme. Trump established the task force via executive order in May, appointing Vance to lead the initiative.
President Donald Trump has publicly supported the task force's efforts, stating on Truth Social in June that billions of dollars are being recovered and that the work has just begun. Vice President Vance is scheduled to join Dr. Oz at a news conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to further detail the task force's accomplishments.