House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington and Health Care Task Force Chair Blake Moore introduced legislation on July 22 to prevent fraud in government spending and invest in anti-fraud programs. The Anti-Fraud Fund Act of 2026 aims to provide federal investigators with additional personnel and technology to identify, stop, and recover taxpayer dollars lost to fraud.
Arrington said, “$275 million in taxpayer dollars are stolen every day from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. CMS, under the leadership of Dr. Oz and ‘Fraud Czar’ Kim Brandt, has taken this massive fraud head on. The Anti-Fraud Fund Act is a commonsense bill that strengthens CMS’s ability to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute health care fraud, ensuring taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars never leave the Treasury into a fraudster’s hands. Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar stolen from taxpayers and the vulnerable Americans these programs are meant to serve. We owe it to all Americans to restore program integrity, enforce real safeguards, and ensure these programs work for the people who truly need them.”
Moore said, “The Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program has existed for thirty years, and under the Trump Administration, CMS Administrator Dr. Oz, and Deputy Administrator Kim Brandt, it has proven to be one of the most effective tools to combat fraud in our health care system. This joint-DOJ-HHS program has a 7:1 return for dollars saved for every dollar spent. I am confident that providing these immediate funds through the Anti-Fraud Fund Act over the next four years will empower Dr. Oz’s team to bring accountability to Medicare and Medicaid providers and ensure good stewardship of tax dollars.”
Representative Jay Obernolte also commented on California’s experience with healthcare fraud: “California knows all too well the enormous cost of unchecked fraud. Every dollar stolen from Medicare or Medicaid is a dollar taken from seniors, vulnerable patients, and hardworking taxpayers,” Obernolte said. “The Anti-Fraud Fund Act will give federal investigators the personnel and technology needed to identify fraud sooner, stop bad actors, and recover taxpayer dollars. With an estimated return of seven dollars for every dollar invested, this legislation is a commonsense way to protect our health care programs and restore accountability in government spending.”
The bill proposes investing $28 billion into the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program between fiscal years 2027 through 2030 by allocating $7 billion annually for attorneys, agents, and technology upgrades for agencies such as the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Justice (DOJ), among others tasked with combating Medicare/Medicaid-related fraudulent activity.
For every dollar invested in anti-fraud measures there is an estimated return in recouped or halted fraudulent payments; preliminary Congressional Budget Office estimates suggest net savings could reach at least $168 billion over ten years with an average ROI ratio near seven-to-one.
Established in 1996 as a coordinated effort between DOJ/CMS/HHS Office Inspector General—HCFAC remains the central federal investment targeting improper payments, fraud prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution within the U.S. healthcare system.
The House Budget Committee oversees federal spending responsibilities including developing budget resolutions promoting fiscal responsibility; its members include those serving on Ways & Means/Appropriations Committees; it collaborates closely with Congressional Budget Office regarding independent analyses; it prepares annual budget resolutions/guidelines setting targets—all according to the official website.