Ciattarelli Proposes NJDOGE to Audit Medicaid for Waste and Fraud

Ciattarelli Proposes New Jersey Audit Modeled After Federal DOGE Initiative

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli is advocating for a comprehensive audit of the New Jersey state government, drawing inspiration from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) established by former President Donald Trump. Interestingly, Ciattarelli had previously criticized similar proposals.

Under Trump’s administration, DOGE was tasked with implementing budget reductions across federal agencies, a move supported by Ciattarelli despite it resulting in significant job cuts and impacting essential services such as Social Security. The department’s efforts were also aimed at generating revenue to facilitate tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, as detailed in a Wired article.

Ciattarelli announced on social media in January that, if elected, he would transform the Office of the State Comptroller into the New Jersey Department of Government Efficiency (NJDOGE), elevating it to a cabinet-level position. “In doing so, we’ll empower the Comptroller to weed out all fraud in government by way of audits and investigations,” Ciattarelli stated in a social media post.

Subsequently, in February, Ciattarelli revealed plans for NJDOGE to operate as part of the State Commission of Investigations, granting it authority to conduct public hearings, issue subpoenas, and produce detailed budget recommendations. His initiative specifically targets waste and fraud within the state’s Medicaid program, as highlighted in a March 4 radio interview where Ciattarelli emphasized the importance of scrutinizing the Medicaid budget, estimated to be nearly $20 billion.

“It’s close to $20 billion … And so I think the right thing to do is get into the data and find out where it is that people are gaming the system and people are receiving services who are not entitled to services,” he said, emphasizing the need for a state-specific DOGE approach.

The Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have been investigating Medicaid fraud annually since 1997, consistently finding that most fraud is perpetrated by healthcare providers and contractors rather than beneficiaries. Approximately 1.9 million residents of New Jersey depend on Medicaid for health insurance.

Ciattarelli previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2011 to 2018 and ran for governor in 2017 and 2021. During the 2017 Republican primary, he criticized Lieutenant Gov. Kim Guadagno’s proposal to fund tax cuts through a state audit, claiming it would result in “false savings and phantom revenues,” and estimating that such an audit would generate only about $250 million.

The Republican primary for New Jersey’s 2025 gubernatorial race is set for June 10. As of now, Ciattarelli’s campaign has not responded to requests for comment.