Minnesota DHS Launches Fact-Check Website to Combat Misinformation

Minnesota Launches Medicaid Fraud Fact-Checking Website Amid Controversy

The Minnesota Department of Human Services has established a new fact-checking website aimed at combating what officials characterize as misleading and false claims about Medicaid fraud in the state, amid growing public concern over the misuse of public funds.

The website serves as a resource for Minnesotans seeking “accurate information about our fight against fraud” and attempts to correct inflated figures and unsubstantiated allegations that have gained traction online and through social media. Initial fact checks target exaggerated estimates of fraud magnitude and claims circulating in viral videos.

“Speculation, intentional misinformation and amateur investigations will not stop fraud in our state. It takes hard evidence to put criminals behind bars,” said Temporary Human Services Commissioner Shireen Gandhi. “While we continue to tighten oversight, we’re also making sure people have a place to go for facts when they hear claims that are intended to justify the defunding of social services programs.”

The initiative is part of Minnesota’s broader Medicaid program integrity efforts, which have intensified since fall 2023. The department reports implementing enhanced fraud detection and prevention measures, including identifying high-risk services, conducting provider audits, and strengthening pre-payment review procedures.

Governor Tim Walz previously ordered a third-party audit of Medicaid billing, the results of which were released in February. The audit identified more than $1 billion in Medicaid funding potentially vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse—a significant figure that underscores the scale of the issue while falling short of some more dramatic estimates circulating publicly.

Minnesota has faced several high-profile fraud cases in recent years. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed charges in two major schemes: one targeting the Minnesota Housing Stabilization program and another exploiting a state program designed to assist individuals on the autism spectrum.

These cases emerged following the extensive investigation into Feeding Our Future, an organization that fraudulently obtained more than $250 million from a USDA and Minnesota Department of Education program intended to feed schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Feeding Our Future investigation subsequently led federal prosecutors to uncover additional fraud schemes.

The state’s new fact-checking website directly addresses some controversial fraud estimates, including a quote attributed to former President Trump claiming Minnesota Medicaid fraud exceeds $19 billion and suggesting the true figure could be “triple it, quadruple it!” The department characterizes this as a political attack and states that “speculation is not fraud,” noting that prosecuted criminal cases to date amount to approximately $217 million.

However, the website’s dismissal of billion-dollar fraud estimates may be at odds with statements from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who led the Feeding Our Future prosecution. In December, when announcing new fraud charges, Thompson suggested that “as much as half or more” of the $18 billion disbursed through 14 high-risk Medicaid programs in Minnesota may have been fraudulent.

“I don’t make these generalizations in a hasty way,” Thompson said at the time. “When I look at the claims data and the providers, I see more red flags than I see legitimate providers and overwhelmingly so.”

Thompson, who recently resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office reportedly over disagreements regarding the handling of the Renee Good shooting case, has since entered private practice. On Tuesday, he was retained to represent Don Lemon in a case related to anti-ICE protests at a St. Paul church.

The contrasting perspectives between state officials and former federal prosecutors highlight the contentious nature of the fraud issue in Minnesota. While the Department of Human Services emphasizes its commitment to program integrity and combating fraud through evidence-based approaches, critics argue that the problem may be more extensive than officially acknowledged.

As the state continues its fraud prevention efforts, the new fact-checking website represents an attempt to control the narrative around Medicaid fraud in Minnesota—an issue that has increasingly become politicized amid broader debates about government spending and program accountability.