Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing significant backlash from disability rights advocates after testifying before a House committee that Medicaid programs paying family caregivers are "rife with fraud." Kennedy argued that these programs often compensate relatives for tasks they should perform for free, such as running errands or driving to appointments, and claimed the government lacks the oversight to verify actual work. Advocates and families of medically complex individuals have denounced these comments as deeply insulting, noting that many caregivers provide life-sustaining, round-the-clock medical care that saves the government money by keeping patients out of institutional settings. The controversy highlights a growing tension as states face rising healthcare costs and potential federal budget cuts while simultaneously struggling with a chronic shortage of professional home-care workers.

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