Mehmet Oz laid out the shocking numbers in a video and public statements as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator. Minnesota expected to spend just $3 million annually on its Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention program for autistic children when it launched in 2018.
By 2023, costs exploded to almost $400 million, a 13,233 percent surge that screams fraud. Oz pointed straight to the scam: Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities area took bribes from fake therapy centers to enroll kids who were not autistic, pocketing monthly kickbacks of $300 to $1,500 per child while billing Medicaid for nonexistent services.
Federal prosecutors charged Asha Farhan Hassan, 28, of Minneapolis, in September 2025 with wire fraud for her role in a $14 million scheme at Smart Therapy Center. Hassan and her partners recruited Somali parents, paid them cash incentives to sign up kids, and submitted bogus claims for autism therapy. Many children had no diagnosis. The center billed Medicaid $14 million from 2021 to 2024, with Hassan taking $2.3 million in salary alone.
Oz slammed the corruption in a December 2025 ultimatum to Governor Tim Walz, threatening to withhold $2 billion in federal Medicaid funds unless Minnesota cleans house.
Scammers used the stolen money to buy luxury cars, overseas real estate, and even sent cash to Somali terrorists like al-Shabaab. Walz and his team looked the other way for years, letting fraudsters bleed taxpayers dry while disabled kids got nothing. Even Somali American investigators admitted to The New York Times in 2025 that community leaders knew about the scams and kept quiet.
This mess ties to Minnesota's history of Somali welfare abuse, like the $250 million Feeding Our Future scam in 2022, where fraudsters stole pandemic aid for fake child meals. Over 100 people, mostly Somali immigrants, faced charges.
Walz shrugged it off, blocked audits, and protected his open borders supporters. This is what happens when liberals flood the state with unvetted migrants who know how to work the system. Americans pay the price, while real citizens wait months for help.
Oz’s crackdown proves this administration isn’t playing games. Minnesota needs to audit every claim, throw the fraudsters in jail, and deport anyone who abused the system. No more handouts for liars and thieves. American taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to bankroll fake autism epidemics in immigrant neighborhoods.