Elon Musk’s team at the Department of Government Efficiency has been on-site at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to mine key systems for examples of what they consider fraud or waste, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The DOGE representatives have gained access to payment and contracting systems, according to the person, who asked not to be named discussing internal matters. They have also been working to cancel diversity, equity and inclusion-focused contracts at CMS and more broadly across the Department of Health and Human Services, the person said, including with organizations like Deloitte.
CMS has two “veteran” employees collaborating with DOGE, “including ensuring appropriate access to CMS systems and technology,” the agency said Wednesday in a statement. “We are taking a thoughtful approach to see where there may be opportunities for more effective and efficient use of resources in line with meeting the goals of President Trump.”
Elon Musk’s team of government efficiency enforcers have been tearing through U.S. agencies, including the Treasury Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The group, run by the world’s richest person and President Donald Trump’s largest donor, says it’s trying to cut costs and staffing levels across the U.S. government.
But the group’s actions are stirring up controversy among staffers, some of whom have tried to block DOGE representatives from accessing information, as well as lawsuits from unions that accuse agencies of illegally letting their members’ information be shared with DOGE. On Tuesday, USAID said most of its 10,000 employees will be placed on administrative leave starting Friday.
The White House confirmed Monday that Musk is what’s known as an SGE, or special government employee. An SGE is an officer or employee in the executive branch of the federal government who typically serves for a limited period of time. Musk’s moves to disrupt the U.S. government with his DOGE team look a lot like the chaotic cost-cutting playbook he followed after buying Twitter, now known as X, for $44 billion in October 2022.
Deloitte, the White House and DOGE didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The Wall Street Journal was first to report the news about CMS.
In late January, Trump fired at least a dozen inspectors general in the federal government, including one for HHS, whose job it was to police fraud in Medicare. CMS is responsible for overseeing Medicare, the government health insurance program for elderly and disabled Americans, as well as the Medicaid program for lower-income patients. CMS had outlays of approximately $1.5 trillion last year, about 22% of the federal total, according to a financial report.
Elon Musk. Credit: Trevor Cokley/U.S. Air Force via Wikimedia Commons
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