After pushing through massive cuts to Medicaid, federal leaders are trying to change the subject. Instead of talking about what those cuts will mean for real people, they’re pointing the finger at home care—calling it wasteful, even “fraud.”

Let’s be clear about what they’re talking about. Home care is the worker helping someone bathe safely, preparing meals, managing medications, and getting people to medical appointments. It’s what allows seniors and people with disabilities to stay in their homes instead of being forced into institutions. That is real work, and right now it’s under attack.

In a recent video, Dr. Oz dismissed care like bathing, cooking, and transportation as something “your family could do,” and suggested that paying caregivers has created opportunities for “unethical people.” Let’s be honest about what that is: an attack on workers and the people who rely on them. It ignores the reality that most families are already stretched thin, working multiple jobs, and doing everything they can to care for their loved ones. It erases the skill, labor, and dignity of home care work—and tries to turn it into a punchline. You can watch what he said for yourself.

This isn’t happening by accident. States like Minnesota, California, and New York have already been targeted with threats, investigations, and attempts to withhold federal funding, with a specific focus on home and community-based services. The strategy is familiar: call something “fraud,” create doubt, and then use that doubt to justify cuts. It’s a way to avoid accountability for Medicaid cuts while shifting blame onto workers and the people who rely on care.

What they’re not saying is that home care actually saves money. It’s far less expensive than institutional care, and it helps people stay healthier, more independent, and connected to their communities. Cutting home care doesn’t reduce costs—it pushes people into more expensive systems and leaves families scrambling to fill the gaps.

And when politicians talk about “unethical people,” we should ask who they mean. Caregivers—doing essential, hands-on labor every day. Families—who rely on that care to survive. That’s who they’re targeting. Calling that “fraud” isn’t just inaccurate. It’s disrespectful—and it’s dangerous.

This is bigger than one program. It’s about shifting blame away from billionaires and corporations onto working people, to justify cuts.

But here in Oregon, we’re choosing a different path. While federal leaders attack, Oregon is doing the right thing: standing up for workers, families, and the value of care itself. We know what home care really is because we see it every day. It’s care. It’s dignity. It’s survival.

We’re not going to let anyone redefine it—and we’re ready to fight to protect it. Care is not fraud.