Newsweek, May 2025
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced heightened oversight to stop states from using federal Medicaid funds to provide nonemergency health care to undocumented migrants. The policy change, linked to an executive order President Donald Trump signed in February, places states on notice for potential recoupment of funds spent in violation of federal law.
Newsweek has contacted the CMS for comment via email. This effort marks a significant escalation in federal and state tensions over the boundaries of Medicaid eligibility and the use of taxpayer funds, particularly as debates over immigration policy and public program funding sharpen nationwide. Medicaid, which serves tens of millions of low-income Americans, operates with shared funding and regulatory authority by both federal and state governments. The new measures could affect state budgets and access to care for some populations in states with broader interpretations of Medicaid eligibility.
