Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing intense backlash from disability rights advocates after testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee that Medicaid home-care programs are "rife with fraud." Kennedy specifically criticized programs that pay family members to care for elderly or disabled relatives, suggesting they are being compensated for tasks like grocery shopping or driving to appointments that should be done for free. Advocates and family caregivers have called these remarks "insulting" and "dismissive," arguing that the work often involves managing complex medical needs—such as ventilators and feeding tubes—and serves as a vital, cost-effective alternative to institutionalization. The controversy comes amid rising concerns over potential federal Medicaid cuts and a chronic shortage of professional home-care workers.

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