Taxpayer spending on 'exorcisms' derails Senate testimony: 'What the hell are we doing about it?'

By Fox News · Fox News

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., railed against California ’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, which is facing scrutiny from the Trump administration over fraud allegations, as Kennedy highlighted reports during a Tuesday hearing that the state covers exorcisms and other faith-based healing practices. Medi-Cal’s spending practices have faced growing scrutiny as California’s Medicaid spending has more than doubled since 2019, rising from roughly $100.7 billion to a projected $222 billion in 2026. Just last week, the Trump administration suspended $1.4 billion in federal funding for California home health and hospice programs after Vice President J.D. Vance’s anti-fraud task force identified an estimated $600 million in suspected fraud within the state's Medicaid system. Kennedy alleged during his line of questioning to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that taxpayer dollars were being used to cover the cost of exorcisms, a religious practice most commonly associated with the Catholic Church, and other indigenous spiritual practices. LAWMAKERS IN DEEP BLUE STATE DEMAND AUDIT OVER SKYROCKETING HEALTHCARE COSTS: 'ALARMING NATURE' "California's got 12% of the population in the last ten years," Kennedy told Blanche. "They're responsible for half of these new so-called health providers to provide exorcisms and other things. Now, what the hell are we doing about it? Why has this gone on for so long?" Reports that California provides Medicaid coverage for exorcisms and other spiritual rituals were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. In 2024, Medi-Cal expanded coverage for recipients seeking traditional healers and natural helpers within tribal communities. Services covered by taxpayer dollars include music therapy and spiritual interventions such as ceremonies, rituals and herbal remedies, according to a press release from Gov. Gavin Newsom's office . To be recognized by the state as a traditional healer, a person must have served as a spiritual leader within an American Indi…