ALBANY, NY — Joseph Hernandez, Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller, today blasted Governor Kathy Hochul and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli following public comments from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz confirming federal scrutiny of New York’s $124 billion Medicaid program.
Dr. Oz warned that New York’s Medicaid system is “riddled with fraud and waste” and indicated federal investigators are probing aspects of the program, which now covers 6.8 million New Yorkers.
“It should alarm every taxpayer that Washington is now investigating what Albany failed to control,” Hernandez said. “Governor Hochul has overseen explosive Medicaid spending, and Comptroller DiNapoli has failed to provide the aggressive oversight New Yorkers deserve.”
Recent audits and investigations have identified:
– Up to $196 million in questionable Medicaid transportation payments
– Approximately $1.2 billion in alleged losses through the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP)
– Hundreds of millions spent annually on duplicative Social Adult Day Care services
“These are not minor accounting errors,” Hernandez said. “They represent billions of taxpayer dollars mismanaged under one-party rule.”
Hernandez directly questioned DiNapoli’s performance as the state’s fiscal watchdog.
“The Comptroller’s constitutional duty is to audit state spending and protect taxpayers from waste, fraud, and abuse,” Hernandez continued. “If federal regulators are flagging systemic fraud in a $124 billion program, that is a failure of state-level oversight. Period.”
Hernandez also criticized Hochul’s administration for presiding over continued program expansion without matching accountability reforms.
“Instead of tightening controls, Albany kept expanding spending,” Hernandez said. “Now federal officials are stepping in to do the job that should have been done here at home.”
Hernandez reiterated his plan to modernize the Office of the State Comptroller by deploying advanced fraud-detection technology, implementing real-time audit systems, and establishing a Fraud Strike Team to proactively identify improper billing before taxpayer dollars leave the door.
“New Yorkers deserve a Comptroller who prevents fraud, not one who reacts after billions are lost,” Hernandez concluded. “If elected, accountability will no longer be optional.”
To learn more about Joseph Hernandez’s plan to strengthen Medicaid oversight and protect taxpayers, visit hernandezforny.com.