Musk’s DOGE granted access to CMS records in search of ‘big money fraud’

Elon Musk’s pseudo-government “efficiency” initiative—authorized by President Donald Trump—has been actively reviewing the payment records of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Wall Street Journal revealed in a report. 

According to the outlet, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has access to details on contracts doled out by the agency, as well as staffing records. Representatives of DOGE claim they are looking for signs of waste and fraud as they perform an analysis of how the agency operates from a personnel standpoint. 

CMS said it is cooperating with DOGE and the White House, with Musk saying in a post on Twitter/X that “Yeah, this is where the big money fraud is happening.”

“We are taking a thoughtful approach to see where there may be opportunities for more effective and efficient use of resources in line with meeting the goals of President Trump," CMS confirmed.

As the agency responsible for providing Medicare and Medicaid to more than 140 million Americans, CMS polices fraud in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). While fraud is a regular occurrence, much of which ends up being on the claims side—meaning, a healthcare entity submits bills to CMS for care it did not deliver, thus defrauding the taxpayers. 

Last summer, the DOJ said it arrested 198 individuals suspected of healthcare fraud, accounting for $2.75 billion in scams. 

It’s unclear what DOGE and Musk will find during their audit, as the world’s richest man did not provide evidence or reason for his suspicion that CMS is the epicenter of corruption. 

The Wall Street Journal noted that Musk and his associates have read-only access to CMS records and will not be able to edit information or move data offsite. 

For more, read the full report at the link below.