Kennedy Blasts California Medicaid Over Taxpayer Funded Exorcisms as Costs Soar [WATCH]

Sen. John Kennedy pressed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during a Tuesday hearing over California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, questioning why taxpayer dollars are being used for spiritual healing practices covered under the state’s expanded health benefits, as reported by Fox News.

Kennedy, R-La., focused on reports that Medi-Cal covers faith-based healing practices, including spiritual interventions, ceremonies, rituals, and herbal remedies, after California expanded coverage in 2024 for certain tribal health care practices.

Medi-Cal has come under growing scrutiny as California’s Medicaid spending has more than doubled since 2019. The program’s spending rose from roughly $100.7 billion to a projected $222 billion in 2026.

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The Trump administration recently suspended $1.4 billion in federal funding for California home health and hospice programs after Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force identified an estimated $600 million in suspected fraud within California’s Medicaid system.

During the Senate hearing, Kennedy questioned Blanche about reports that California’s Medicaid program covers exorcisms and other spiritual practices.

“California’s got 12% of the population in the last 10 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?”

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Reports that California provides Medicaid coverage for exorcisms and other spiritual rituals were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

A spokesperson for the California Health and Human Services Agency denied that Medi-Cal covers exorcisms.

“It does cover federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-approved Traditional Health Care Practices, which are defined, identified, and credentialed by each Native American Tribe, Nation, Band, or Rancheria, and are rooted in cultural knowledge that has supported healing for generations,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

In March 2025, Medi-Cal expanded coverage for recipients seeking traditional healers and natural helpers within tribal communities.

According to a press release from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, taxpayer-funded services include music therapy and spiritual interventions such as ceremonies, rituals, and herbal remedies.

To be recognized by the state as a traditional healer, an individual must have served as a spiritual leader within an American Indian tribe for at least two years and must be contracted by an Indian Health Care Provider.

The rules for a natural helper are less strict. A natural helper can be anyone considered a “trusted” member of an American Indian tribe.

“Traditional healing services have been trusted and tested methods of care for American Indians and Alaska Natives for generations,” a CHHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

“They are deeply rooted in cultural practices and have been shown to improve health outcomes, particularly for individuals with substance-use disorders (SUD).”

Newsom said the expansion of coverage for tribal medicine was intended to assist in “helping heal the historical wounds inflicted on tribes.”

“Like many of the issues that plague successive generations of Native people, those inequities can be traced back to the historical atrocities the U.S. inflicted on tribes across the country,” Newsom said in a press release announcing the Medi-Cal expansion.

“By supporting greater access to traditional medicine and healing, we are taking another step toward a healthier, brighter future.”

The total amount Medi-Cal has spent on services provided by traditional healers or natural helpers remains unclear. A spokesperson for CCHS said the funding is incorporated into existing behavioral health funding.

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