One week after receiving fresh authority from the federal government, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced on Wednesday it has begun using that power to move against operators in New York’s Social Adult Day Care program. The agency held a press briefing to outline a series of enforcement steps it says respond to widespread improper billing and program misuse in the city.
The Social Adult Day Care program provides socialization, personal care and meals for adults with physical and cognitive impairments. CMS officials described the program as vulnerable to fraudulent practices and identified specific centers in New York as targets for removal from federal health programs. At the briefing Mehmet Oz used stark language to underscore the agency’s view of the problem, calling the situation harmful to the state and to program beneficiaries.
The authority invoked by CMS stems from a delegation published in the Federal Register one week earlier; the document outlines the agency’s ability to exclude providers from participating in federally funded programs. The notice is available on the Federal Register website: Statement of Delegation of Authority. CMS said the newly exercised powers will be used to bar providers implicated in fraud from federal programs and to pursue other enforcement measures intended to protect program integrity and federal dollars.
The agency’s actions may carry practical consequences for adults who rely on day services and for the network of caregivers and institutions that support them. Observers and providers will be watching whether exclusions and administrative steps disrupt access to care and how quickly alternative providers can respond. The announcement also signals a broader federal push to scrutinize long-term services and supports and to tighten oversight of programs funded through Medicaid and related channels, as officials balance enforcement with continuity of services for vulnerable beneficiaries.
