Washington — The Trump administration is pausing more than $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota as part of its crackdown on fraud in federal programs, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday. For both states, the Trump administration said the funding is not being cut, since officials can provide more information to show that the "high-risk" Medicaid claims meet federal standards. CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the payment deferrals for California and Minnesota are part of the administration's "new approach to program integrity." The Trump administration launched an anti-fraud task force earlier this year that is targeting potential abuses in federal programs in California and other states. The U.S. attorney in Minnesota estimated the total amount of fraud in the state could exceed $1 billion.