Shock Allegation: Medicaid Covers EXORCISMS!

California’s Medicaid program just got accused of covering exorcisms, and the hearing transcript offers enough “I’ll accept that” answers to make taxpayers sit up straight.

Story Snapshot

A Senate hearing exchange has a Justice Department witness agreeing that California’s Medicaid program can cover tribal prayers and exorcisms as described by Senator John Kennedy ^[1]^[3].
The same exchange affirms coverage of meal deliveries, housing supports, gym memberships, and even student loan repayment in California’s Medicaid program frame ^[1]^[3].
California officials publicly reject the “exorcisms” label, saying coverage concerns approved Traditional Health Care Practices for Native communities ^[4].
The record lacks a Medi-Cal rule or a paid claim that literally lists “exorcism,” leaving a proof gap amid a charged policy fight ^[1]^[3]^[4].

The Senate Exchange That Lit the Fuse

Senator John Kennedy pressed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a Senate hearing about whether California’s Medicaid program pays for tribal prayers and exorcisms. Blanche replied, “I’ll accept that” and added that these are “programs that are allowed under the program,” while also agreeing to a list of other supports such as herbal medicines, meal deliveries, housing, and gym memberships framed under the California Medicaid program umbrella ^[1]^[3]. The exchange gave the allegation national oxygen, even without underlying billing records.

Kennedy sharpened the political blade by pairing cultural or spiritual services with broader claims of waste, provider proliferation, and what he cast as a slush-fund mindset. He argued California contributes a small share while federal taxpayers foot most of the bill, then layered on references to theft and billions lost. Blanche did not walk back the premise and agreed to key elements of the portrayal, which amplified the headline-ready claim that Medicaid dollars touch exorcism-adjacent services in California ^[1]^[3].

What California Says the Benefit Actually Is

California officials counter that Medi-Cal does not cover exorcisms as such. They state the benefit at issue involves federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-approved Traditional Health Care Practices defined and credentialed by each Tribe, applied within specific behavioral health and community support contexts. That framing positions the coverage as culturally appropriate care for Native American patients, not a spiritual free-for-all. The state’s response draws a bright line between sensational labels and tribal health practices recognized in policy language ^[4].

This clash turns on definitions. The hearing’s rhetorical shorthand—“exorcisms”—collides with programmatic terms like “traditional healing” and “community supports.” Without a provider manual citation or claim code, the dispute invites both overreach and denial. The political theater thrives on vivid language; administrators retreat to careful phrasing. That gap explains why the public hears “exorcism” while bureaucrats insist “approved traditional practice,” creating a credibility contest that policy documents should resolve but so far have not in the presented record ^[1]^[3]^[4].

What We Know, What We Don’t, and Why It Matters

Facts on record: a Senate witness accepted Kennedy’s characterizations in broad strokes; the exchange tied the services to California’s Medicaid program; and the list included nontraditional supports that many voters would not associate with medical care. Facts missing: a Medi-Cal policy bulletin or managed care contract that explicitly lists “exorcism,” a claim form, a code, a date, a paid amount, or a provider name. Without those, the charge remains politically potent but not forensically proven in a narrow sense ^[1]^[3].

🚨🇺🇸 CA Medicaid (Medi-Cal) is now BILLING taxpayers for exorcisms.
THEY CAN NOT BE SERIOUS.

The program doubled from $100B to a projected $222B by 2026. Trump admin froze $1.4B in federal funding after flagging $600M+ in suspected fraud.

Sen. John Kennedy: “California has 12%… pic.twitter.com/K01ZpDHcoR

— Steven J. Latham (@StevenJLatham1) May 22, 2026

Common sense and conservative priorities suggest two simultaneous truths. First, taxpayers deserve a strict boundary between health care and ideology. Government should not subsidize religious rites, period. Second, states legitimately use federal waivers to fund nontraditional supports that measurably reduce costly hospital use or improve recovery, provided rules are clear and fraud controls work. The correct test is verifiable outcomes, clean documentation, and zero tolerance for billing sleights-of-hand dressed up as culture or care.

The Accountability Playbook That Would End the Guessing

Policymakers can close the evidence gap quickly. Demand California’s Medicaid provider manuals and any federal approval letters that define these Traditional Health Care Practices, including eligible providers, billing pathways, service descriptors, and guardrails. Pull de-identified claims data for the categories implicated by the hearing. Require attestations that services do not include religious rites, and audit payments for medical necessity, duplication, and enrollment integrity. Publish a plain-English explainer and the data to back it. If the program is clean, sunlight clears the air; if not, clawbacks and prosecutions follow ^[1]^[3]^[4].