GOP Senator Pestered About Medicare Fraud Scandal After Claiming Americans 'Decided' They Didn't Want Healthcare: 'Not Everyone Can Defraud Medicare'

Florida Sen. Rick Scott claimed able-bodied Americans who choose not to work have "decided" they don't want healthcare, prompting widespread reminders online of the Medicare and Medicaid fraud scandal that occurred at Columbia/HCA under Scott's leadership.

During a Fox News interview Monday, Scott defended a House Republican bill that would slash at least $880 billion from Medicaid's budget over the next decade, potentially leaving an estimated 13 million Americans without insurance.

Republicans have maintained the cuts are aimed at eliminating "waste, fraud, and abuse" within the system, a point Scott reinforced by criticizing able-bodied 30-year-old men who, he claimed, choose to rely on Medicaid rather than seek employment.

"Number one is if you don't want to work, you're the one that decided you don't want healthcare. That's number one," Scott stated.

"Number two: Medicaid is supposed to be for children that don't have healthcare and people with chronic illness," he continued, adding that he grew up in public housing and had a brother who could not get health insurance.

"Today, that child might not get it because of what these states are doing. They get more money to take care of able-bodied adults," Scott added. However, health research has indicated that the majority of Medicaid recipients in the U.S. are children and adolescents aged 0 to 18.

Social media users criticized Scott for accusing Americans of defrauding the government through the Medicaid program, pointing out that his former company, Columbia/HCA, was found guilty of similar offenses. In 2002, while Scott served as CEO, Columbia/HCA was ordered to pay a historic $1.7 billion settlement with the federal government for Medicare fraud.

The board of directors pressured Scott to step down as CEO. He left with a $9.88 million settlement and 10 million stock shares, equating to more than $350 million at the time.

"We should listen to Rick Scott on this. Nobody knows more about Medicare fraud than Rick Scott," one X user joked.

"Not everyone can defraud Medicare and then fail up," another added. Scott has started a number of successful healthcare-adjacent companies since leaving Columbia/HCA in 2002, making him one of the wealthiest Congress members.

"Said by the man who defrauded Medicare," one user added.

"Sure thing Mr. 'I defrauded Medicare' @SenRickScott," another user sarcastically commented.