CA23: The Partisan Weaponization of IEHP: How Obernolte and Trump’s DOJ Are Twisting Health Care Oversight into Political Warfare

In a nation where the sick and vulnerable should be our priority, the latest move by the Trump Justice Department armed with the obedience of Rep. Jay Obernolte is transforming health care oversight into a raw political weapon. The suit against the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), under the False Claims Act, reeks of political theatre dressed up as integrity enforcement. 

It is easy to point fingers at health plans and accuse them of manipulating funding rules. But when those fingers belong to actors with a transparent political agenda, the accusation becomes far more sinister.

Where is Obernolte’s concern when IEHP delivers care to communities that otherwise lack options? In his drive to bend the cost curve thousands of residents in our district stand to lose their health care coverage. Obernolte is letting himself be used as a political amplifier. He helps distract from the fact that the DOJ’s selective enforcement is glaring and investigations get initiated based on who holds power, not based on the scale of harm or evidence.

The DOJ did not launch a blitz of similar suits against all Medi-Cal providers in California. The spotlight lands firmly on IEHP a major insurer in our district. This is less a health policy intervention and more a political hit job. When a health plan is dogged by lawsuits, it affects patient care and Obernolte seemingly doesn’t care.