Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, said that Arizona’s wealthy elite have been exploiting the Medicaid program. This comment follows an oversight report exposed by Senator Janae Shamp, which revealed 20,000 ineligible recipients.
“Arizona patriots — pay attention to this issue,” said Cortes. “Have wealthy people in AZ been abusing a program meant for the needy???”
According to Center Square, Arizona lawmakers Senator Janae Shamp and Representative Michael Carbone raised concerns on Tuesday regarding alleged widespread fraud in the state’s Medicaid program. They claim that over $6 billion has been disbursed to more than 20,000 ineligible recipients. During a press conference in Phoenix, Senate Majority Leader Shamp presented findings from the Patient First Coalition indicating that some beneficiaries, referred to as “Medicaid millionaires,” might possess assets exceeding $1 million. Shamp noted that only 23% of enrollees underwent proper financial verification and announced her formal request for a comprehensive audit from Governor Katie Hobbs.
Shamp criticized the governor’s proposed 7.5% budget increase for the Arizona Medicaid system as “unaccountable and mismanaged,” according to Center Square. Accompanied by House Majority Leader Carbone, she highlighted that over 1,100 full-time staff members in state agencies could perform necessary verifications without expanding government operations. Both leaders emphasized that this issue goes beyond partisan politics and warned that continued misallocation of public resources could threaten support for genuinely needy Arizonans. They described the report’s findings as a call for urgent reform.
On the Medicaid report, Shamp remarked during an interview with Real America’s Voice shared on X: “ONLY 24% ARE VETTED! We are not checking or verifying.”
According to Shamp’s report shared on X, as of June 2025, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) continues to operate without a permanent director, hindering its ability to tackle fraud, waste, and abuse. The report estimates an annual loss of $6 billion due to Medicaid fraud and notes that over 49,000 individuals receiving Arizona Medicaid benefits are also enrolled in aid programs in other states. Data from the report indicates that only 23% of Arizona’s 388,000 Medicaid enrollees underwent proper asset verification; among these individuals, 33% did not meet eligibility requirements. Allegedly more than 130,000 enrollees were ineligible, including over 20,000 individuals with substantial assets—termed “Medicaid millionaires”—and at least 5,000 with liquid assets exceeding $50,000.
Senator Janae Shamp is a Republican lawmaker representing Arizona’s 29th Legislative District and currently serves as the Senate Majority Leader.