Ohio’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, Vivek Ramaswamy, addressed Medicaid fraud in the Buckeye State on Tuesday, following explosive reports from Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak.
Rosiak’s findings have exposed billions of dollars of apparent Medicaid fraud in Ohio, by way of dubious “personal services” payments where people are paid to spend time with their own family. Most people who participate in the fraud appear to be foreigners.
“I think it’s fair to say that, if you had not just reported the facts, as you did a few weeks ago, the people in this room, who are working hard to solve these problems, wouldn’t have the platform to actually make this a priority for our state,” Ramaswamy said of Rosiak.
The former presidential candidate won the Ohio Republican primary earlier this month. He’s facing Democrat nominee Amy Acton in Ohio’s November gubernatorial election.
“Healthcare costs are spiraling out of control, … the healthcare costs that Ohioans are bearing every day,” he said.
Medicaid is for Americans who temporarily “need a hand up,” the Republican said. “The problem is that, when you have criminals, fraudsters, thieves, claiming money for themselves, it diverts money away from those for whom these programs were intended.”
Ramaswamy said Medicaid fraud is creating higher healthcare costs for all Ohioans and Americans at large.
“The easiest solution that I will be able to deliver to you in the first six months of my leadership of this state, will be to crush Medicaid fraud by the billions,” he declared. “And to put money back in your pockets, where it belongs.”
Crushing Medicaid fraud is one of the simplest ways to make healthcare more affordable. Most healthcare policies force a painful trade-off between cost, access and quality, but this one doesn’t: It takes money from criminals and returns it to the families who play by the rules. pic.twitter.com/RQJq68lG80
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 19, 2026
“Crushing Medicaid fraud is one of the simplest ways to make healthcare more affordable,” he posted to X. “Most healthcare policies force a painful trade-off between cost, access, and quality, but this one doesn’t: it takes money from criminals and returns it to the families who play by the rules.”
Rosiak attended the event personally and addressed the crowd, detailing the fraud he’s uncovered in Ohio. Notably, in the wake of the reporting, Vice President JD Vance warned that the Trump administration will cut off certain federal anti-fraud funding to states that fail to aggressively investigate Medicaid abuse.
Rosiak is set to testify before a Senate panel this week about his findings.
🔴 LIVE: Crushing Fraud. Lowering Healthcare Costs. https://t.co/3hT2Jwyy2a
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 19, 2026
Related: Ohio Says Safeguards Exist To Stop Medicaid Fraud, But Admits Massive Loophole