Washington, D.C. – Medicare fraud is a multibillion-dollar problem that government officials say threatens both taxpayer dollars and Americans’ personal identities.

In a July 6 interview with Fox News Digital at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., Dr. Mehmet Oz warned that every dollar stolen through Medicare fraud is a dollar taxpayers lose – a problem that has worsened since the COVID pandemic.

“If I had to just pick one thing to focus on to make healthcare more affordable in America, I’d go to health fraud and all the waste and abuse that accompanies it,” said Oz, who is the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “And just to put this in perspective, we think it’s about $100 billion a year.”

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Medicare fraud can include billing for services that were never provided, overcharging for medical equipment, using stolen patient or doctor information, or performing unnecessary procedures, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

As the Trump administration ramped up efforts to combat fraud, CMS reported $41.9 billion in Medicare program integrity savings in 2025, up 59% from $26.3 billion in 2024.

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Medicare fraud not only harms the federal budget and steals from taxpayers, but exposes seniors to identity theft, unnecessary care, higher premiums and reduced access, Oz cautioned.

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Removing corruption from the healthcare system will have the greatest impact among seniors, since “so much of the fraud is perpetrated against them,” the administrator said.

“I’m talking about people tricking seniors to give up their Medicare beneficiary numbers, which is like a credit card basically,” he said. “These scammers can take those numbers and use them for all kinds of illegitimate purposes.”

“People are stealing from you by pretending to send you drugs you don’t want, wheelchairs you don’t need, [and] services you never asked for or don’t benefit from,” Oz added.

To prevent this, he shared his top advice for seniors: Do not give your Medicare beneficiary number to anybody, do not answer questions on a phone call from an unknown person and do not give away personal information.

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“These scammers are calling seniors, tricking them, and once they have key information, they can steal it,” he said. “And I won’t know it and you won’t know it.”

“We want to protect people who need these programs the most,” Oz went on. “You do that by making sure scoundrels don’t corrupt the systems and steal money out of the till that is designed to help folks in dire straits when they’re vulnerable and in need of services.”

Removing fraud could “double the life expectancy of the trust fund that makes all this possible,” Oz predicted.

“If you’re worried about Medicare being there when you’re ready to retire in a couple decades, depending on how old you are, and you’re concerned that it might not last because of all the fraud that’s hitting it … you’ve got a good [reason to] worry,” he said.

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“If we take the fraud out, we could double the life expectancy, which means you, your kids, your kids’ kids … they could all benefit from this beautiful safety net program.”

Creatine, the common muscle-building supplement, may help improve depression symptoms, new research suggests.

A systematic review, published in Genomic Press’ Brain Medicine, found that creatine monohydrate may be beneficial as an add-on treatment for major depressive disorder, although the evidence remains preliminary.

The Canada-based researchers analyzed data from five randomized controlled trials, evaluating the impact of creatine monohydrate intake on mental health.

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Four of the trials studied major depressive disorder, and another looked at bipolar disorder with a current depressive episode.

In one trial of women with depression who took 5 grams of creatine per day, plus the antidepressant escitalopram, there was greater improvement after eight weeks. Another study revealed benefit when creatine was added to cognitive behavioral therapy.

Other studies involving teen girls found no benefit from a variety of creatine dosages after eight weeks. The bipolar depression study also found no significant improvements when 6 grams of creatine was added to medication after six weeks.

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In a press release, the researchers said previous studies have found that people with mood disorders process creatine differently in the brain. Because creatine helps produce energy, some scientists believe disruptions in this process may contribute to depression.

Although creatine has also been associated with boosting dopamine and serotonin, which most antidepressants target, the authors stressed that the link between brain creatine and mood “remains correlational,” as depression has “many moving parts.”

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Lead study author Bassam Jeryous Fares, a student in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, commented in a statement that the signal is “interesting, but not a verdict.”

“Two trials pointed one way and three pointed another,” he said. “That is not the kind of evidence on which you change clinical practice. It is the kind that tells you the question is worth further exploration.”

Nicholas Fabiano, corresponding author and a psychiatry resident at the University of Ottawa, added in the same press release that creatine “appears to be a safe intervention,” noting that side effects were limited to mild stomach pain.

“We cannot yet reliably say that creatine helps with depressive symptoms or if the findings are generalizable to everyone,” he added as a caveat.

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Dr. Thea Gallagher, psychologist and director of wellness programs at NYU Langone, said that although creatine is best known for supporting muscle performance, it also helps the brain produce and use energy.

“Researchers believe that some people with depression may have alterations in brain energy metabolism, and creatine could help support these energy-producing pathways,” Gallagher, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “There is also emerging evidence that it may influence neurotransmitters and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, although these mechanisms are still being investigated.”

The research suggests that creatine may be most helpful when combined with established depression treatments rather than as a replacement, Gallagher emphasized.

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“This research is encouraging because it adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that supporting brain energy metabolism may be another pathway for improving depression symptoms,” she said.

“It’s exciting whenever we identify another potential tool that could complement existing treatments, particularly one that is relatively inexpensive and widely available.”

Limitations and caveats

The new study is a review of prior research rather than a new clinical trial, which can pose a limitation, the researchers acknowledged, adding that “larger, well-controlled trials are still needed.”

Gallagher noted that creatine should be considered as a potentially promising addition to treatment, rather than a substitute for psychotherapy, antidepressant medication, regular exercise or healthy sleep habits.

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“While creatine has a strong safety profile for most healthy adults, it’s still important to talk with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement — particularly if you have kidney disease, are pregnant or have other medical conditions,” she advised.

For those experiencing signs of depression, Gallagher recommends seeking evidence-based mental healthcare.

The doctor noted that depression is a “highly heterogeneous condition, so we still don’t know which patients are most likely to benefit or what the optimal treatment approach looks like.”

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Gallagher also cautioned that supplements have been known to generate “early enthusiasm” before larger studies have revealed “more modest effects.”

“Right now, I’d describe creatine as promising but not definitive,” she concluded. “It’s an area that deserves continued research, but it’s not something people should view as a standalone treatment for depression.”

A decades-long effort to develop a vaccine against one of the world’s leading causes of severe digestive illness has reached a milestone, according to new research.

Scientists recently developed a technology targeting enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a bacterium responsible for millions of diarrheal illnesses each year.

The technology has now been licensed to French vaccine manufacturer Valneva for further development.

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The findings come after decades of research led by scientists at the University of Bergen and the Norwegian Research Center (NORCE).

One of the most common bacterial causes of severe diarrhea worldwide, ETEC is known to disproportionately affect children in low- and middle-income countries. Despite years of research, there is currently no broadly effective vaccine to prevent the infection, according to the study.

The researchers focused on a toxin produced by ETEC that has long been considered one of the biggest obstacles to vaccine development.

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James Fleckenstein, MD, a professor of medicine and molecular microbiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said the findings represent a promising step.

“We still have a lot of work to do to translate these findings to an actual vaccine,” Fleckenstein, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. “But the approach does look promising in the sense that the proteins elicit strong antibody responses that appear to offer protection against diarrheal illness after the first infection in children in developing countries.”

If the vaccine eventually reaches patients, researchers hope it could help protect children against some of the most severe forms of diarrheal disease caused by ETEC.

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In the meantime, Fleckenstein said travelers can take steps to reduce their risk of diarrheal illnesses. He recommends avoiding high-risk foods — including meals from street vendors in areas where sanitation may be poor — drinking bottled water in higher-risk regions, and practicing good hand hygiene.

Fleckenstein also noted that vaccines are available to protect against typhoid fever, and said travelers should consult their physician before traveling internationally.

The research did have some limitations, the researchers noted.

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The technology is still in development and has not yet been tested as an approved vaccine among the public.

While the licensing agreement allows Valneva to continue advancing the research, additional laboratory studies, clinical trials and regulatory review will be required before the vaccine becomes available.