Trump Appoints Dr. Oz to Lead Massive Medicare and Medicaid Overhaul

WASHINGTON — Mehmet Oz, a former television personality and one-time U.S. Senate candidate, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This agency oversees significant portions of the nation’s healthcare system.

In a statement, Trump expressed confidence in Oz’s qualifications, stating, “there may be no Physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again.” Oz notably won the Republican primary for the Pennsylvania Senate race in 2022 but lost the general election to Democratic Sen. John Fetterman.

Trump’s announcement indicated that Oz would be working closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee for Health and Human Services secretary. Together, they aim to address issues within the “illness industrial complex” and combat chronic diseases proliferating across the country.

Additionally, Trump emphasized Oz’s commitment to eliminating waste and fraud in CMS, which is responsible for approximately a third of national healthcare spending and a quarter of the federal budget. The agency administers critical programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and health insurance marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act.

CMS currently serves 1 in 4 Americans, with 67.7 million individuals enrolled in Medicare, many of whom are seniors. Medicaid provides coverage for about 72.4 million low-income individuals, while CHIP has 7.1 million participants. The 2024 ACA enrollment period saw 21.3 million people securing health insurance through the marketplace.

In the last fiscal year, CMS accounted for expenditures totaling approximately $1.516 trillion and employed over 6,700 federal staff and contractors. The agency processes over a billion Medicare claims annually, upholds quality of care standards, allocates Medicaid funds, and develops healthcare policies.

Oz holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a joint M.D. and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. He gained prominent recognition as the host of the daytime show “Dr. Oz,” which aired from 2009 until 2022.

His nomination will require Senate confirmation, falling under the Finance Committee’s review, led by Oregon’s Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden and Idaho’s Republican Sen. Mike Crapo. Notably, this isn’t Oz’s first appearance before a Senate committee; over a decade ago, he faced scrutiny regarding his comments on weight loss supplements.

Last updated 4:44 p.m., Nov. 20, 2024