New York is about to get the Oz treatment.
Medicaid czar Dr. Mehmet Oz is turning up the heat on Gov. Kathy Hochul, launching an investigation into the state’s massive $124 billion Medicaid program — which he has claimed is rife with waste, fraud and abuse, The Post has learned.
In a letter sent to Hochul Tuesday, Oz, who heads the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, posed 50 questions scrutinizing what she and her team are doing to control costs and identify and prevent fraud.
“I am formally requesting detailed information regarding program integrity and provider screening and enrollment oversight within New York’s Medicaid program. This request is necessary to ensure public confidence and protect beneficiaries in your state’s Medicaid program,” said Oz.
Medicaid is the public health insurance program for those in need, with costs split among the federal, state and local governments.
“The data is clear. New York far outspends other states on its Medicaid program on a statewide and per beneficiary basis,” Oz said in the letter, also sent to state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald, state Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri and acting Medicaid Inspector General Frank Walsh Jr.