At a glance:
- The Trump administration recently targeted Maine’s Medicaid program, MaineCare, with claims of widespread fraud
- This attack is part of a pattern of politicians using accusations of fraud to justify cuts to popular public programs
- Most Mainers want MaineCare services to expand and believe accountability should not come at the expense of vital services
- Families already navigate long wait lists to access direct care services — policymakers should take steps to increase provider reimbursement to support recruitment and retention of care workers
Politicians often use fraud claims to undermine public investment in community care. This familiar tactic has been used in Maine and across the country, often alongside efforts to cut funding for popular, vital programs.
In the past week, another round of unsubstantiated attacks were made against Maine’s Medicaid program, MaineCare. Rather than supporting the state’s efforts to hold providers accountable, these claims appear designed to undermine and defund key public services.
The most recent attacks on MaineCare distract from the affordability challenges families navigate, including recent HR 1 cuts to Medicaid and longstanding underfunding of vital direct care services, which support older people and people with disabilities. Programs the Trump administration has targeted are especially vulnerable to cuts, with both children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) already going years without necessary care.
The Trump administration targeted home care services in Maine
On Monday during a visit to Maine, Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, made unfounded claims of fraud against MaineCare, arguing 90% of services billed for home care for people with disabilities had “no justifiable backup.” This claim may be rooted in a January federal audit, which identified potential problems with billing for services for children with autism. However, as the Maine Department of Health and Human Services noted, those payments were flagged for potential documentation and compliance issues, which do not automatically point to fraud.
The political dimensions of the visit came to the forefront as Dr. Oz spent time with a conservative website and former governor Paul LePage, who then made unsubstantiated statements against both Medicaid and SNAP.
Families deserve timely access to necessary care
Medicaid is overwhelmingly popular. Over half of adults say they or a family member benefited from the program, and nearly all adults recognize Medicaid as important for members of their community. Research-based services help adults with autism reach their full potential. While it is important to hold health care providers accountable for properly completing all necessary paperwork, this should not come at the cost of vital services to Maine families.
The state’s Medicaid program, MaineCare, helps nearly 476,000 residents pay for doctor’s visits, medications, direct care, and other key health care services each year. The majority of Mainers would like to see MaineCare expand, and more funding is needed to support rural hospitals and fill critical gaps in care.
The need for more funding is especially evident in Maine’s direct care system, the subject of the Trump administration’s most recent attacks. Families seeking direct care for themselves or their loved ones often navigate limited access, insufficient reimbursements, and staffing challenges rooted in low wages. Even before the recent HR 1 cuts to Medicaid, home care was out of reach for many in the state, with families struggling to afford and access necessary direct care for autism and developmental disabilities.
The programs the Trump administration targeted provide vital services to people with ASD or IDD and their families. Additional cuts to these programs would be devastating. Eligible families already navigate an extensive wait list for services that allow recipients to live in their communities and engage in public settings, with waits of 8.5 years for comprehensive services (Section 21) and 6.9 years for support services (Section 29) in Maine. Most of these families have no other coverage.
To shorten wait times, the state could increase labor reimbursement rates to providers and caregivers, a key step toward filling the over 2,300 vacant caregiver positions in the state.
This isn’t the first time the administration has claimed fraud to justify cuts
Since late 2025, representatives from the Trump administration have claimed Medicaid fraud in states governed by Democrats. In California, Minnesota, and Maine, the administration targeted states with high-profile Medicaid audits related to Medicaid programs owned by or serving immigrant communities. In both Maine and Minnesota, the administration highlighted claims against Somali-owned businesses, furthering the administration’s longstanding attacks on Somali communities. The Trump administration has also come under fire for misinformation related to autism, immigrant communities, and social services provided to people with disabilities.
These fraud claims were used to justify withholding over $1 billion in Medicaid funds from California and Minnesota, measures that harmed both providers and recipients of care. The administration has an added incentive to cut public investments over supposed waste, fraud, or abuse to make up for cuts they already made to Medicaid to fund their tax breaks for the wealthy.
Investments in family-friendly policies are popular and support the economy
Families in Maine are navigating an affordability crisis, and necessary care is out of reach for many. Care policies are popular. 85 percent of voters nationally agree affordable care should be accessible to all families with children or disabled or older loved ones. These policies also support the economy, as the services allow recipients to achieve their full potential and enable their family members to work.
Policymakers should prioritize defending existing care programs such as MaineCare as well as strengthening public investments to ensure affordable direct care is accessible to all.