CONTENT:
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator, have engaged in a public spat over allegations of healthcare fraud within the Armenian community in Los Angeles. The latest development in this ongoing battle occurred on Thursday, when Newsom announced his office would file a civil rights complaint with the US Department of Health and Human Services, accusing Oz of discrimination.
The origins of the controversy can be traced back to a video Oz released earlier in January, during which he visited Los Angeles and spoke about large-scale healthcare fraud within the city's Armenian community. The allegations, which were based on data from the CMS, sparked intense discussions on social media and escalated into a public feud between Oz and Newsom.
In the video, Oz claimed that healthcare providers in the Armenian community had submitted $1.4 billion in false claims to Medicare between 2011 and 2015. He also accused the community of being "over-represented" in the fraudulent claims, which accounted for around 25% of all fraudulent claims in the region.
Newsom, who has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration, saw this as an opportunity to accuse Oz of discrimination against the Armenian community. In a statement released on Thursday, the California governor's office stated, "The CMS Administrator's comments were not only misleading but also discriminatory and divisive."
The statement went on to say that the California Department of Social Services would conduct a comprehensive review of the CMS data to determine if any civil rights violations had occurred. The review would focus on whether the data was collected and analyzed in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.
The allegations against the Armenian community have sparked a wave of reactions from various organizations and individuals. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) issued a statement condemning the "false and defamatory accusations" against the community and called on the CMS to provide evidence to support their claims.
Meanwhile, the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS) released a statement expressing its concern over the issue and urging the CMS to provide more transparency regarding its data and methods. The AAMS also emphasized the importance of addressing healthcare fraud in a fair and equitable manner, regardless of ethnicity or community.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the US Department of Health and Human Services will respond to the civil rights complaint and whether the allegations against the Armenian community will be proven. In the meantime, the public debate continues, with both sides engaged in a heated discourse on social media and in the news.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/california
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gavin-newsom
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/30/mehmet-oz-fraud-claims-gavin-newsom
https://www.anca.org/
https://www.aamsoc.org/
CONTENT:
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator, have engaged in a public spat over allegations of healthcare fraud within the Armenian community in Los Angeles. The latest development in this ongoing battle occurred on Thursday, when Newsom announced his office would file a civil rights complaint with the US Department of Health and Human Services, accusing Oz of discrimination.
The origins of the controversy can be traced back to a video Oz released earlier in January, during which he visited Los Angeles and spoke about large-scale healthcare fraud within the city's Armenian community. The allegations, which were based on data from the CMS, sparked intense discussions on social media and escalated into a public feud between Oz and Newsom.
In the video, Oz claimed that healthcare providers in the Armenian community had submitted $1.4 billion in false claims to Medicare between 2011 and 2015. He also accused the community of being "over-represented" in the fraudulent claims, which accounted for around 25% of all fraudulent claims in the region.
Newsom, who has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration, saw this as an opportunity to accuse Oz of discrimination against the Armenian community. In a statement released on Thursday, the California governor's office stated, "The CMS Administrator's comments were not only misleading but also discriminatory and divisive."
The statement went on to say that the California Department of Social Services would conduct a comprehensive review of the CMS data to determine if any civil rights violations had occurred. The review would focus on whether the data was collected and analyzed in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.
The allegations against the Armenian community have sparked a wave of reactions from various organizations and individuals. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) issued a statement condemning the "false and defamatory accusations" against the community and called on the CMS to provide evidence to support their claims.
Meanwhile, the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS) released a statement expressing its concern over the issue and urging the CMS to provide more transparency regarding its data and methods. The AAMS also emphasized the importance of addressing healthcare fraud in a fair and equitable manner, regardless of ethnicity or community.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the US Department of Health and Human Services will respond to the civil rights complaint and whether the allegations against the Armenian community will be proven. In the meantime, the public debate continues, with both sides engaged in a heated discourse on social media and in the news.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/california
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gavin-newsom
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/30/mehmet-oz-fraud-claims-gavin-newsom
https://www.anca.org/
https://www.aamsoc.org/
