The Government Accountability Office reported that federal agencies made $186 billion in improper payments in fiscal 2025—a $24 billion jump from 2024—with Medicare and Medicaid programs accounting for more than half the total. The cumulative total since 2003 has reached roughly $3 trillion, though the actual figure is likely higher. The article is well-sourced from the GAO report and corroborated by multiple outlets, though ZeroHedge's headline focuses on the alarm value ('Rose To') rather than noting that improper payments as a percentage of total federal spending remain relatively small—around 1-2% depending on how total spending is calculated.