Dr. Oz Confirmed to Lead Medicare Agency
The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed celebrity physician Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees healthcare coverage for roughly half of all Americans. The vote fell along party lines, 53-45, with Republicans backing his nomination.
Oz, a 64-year-old former heart surgeon and daytime TV host, was selected last year by president Donald Trump to helm the agency, which administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). His appointment comes just days after CMS avoided deep budget cuts imposed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on other public health agencies, including the FDA and CDC.
Controversial Background Draws Scrutiny
Oz rose to fame in the early 2000s as a frequent guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show before launching his own program, The Dr. Oz Show, in 2009. His medical advice has long been criticized by experts, including his promotion of unproven "miracle" weight-loss treatments and his early-pandemic suggestion that malaria drugs could cure COVID-19.
Medical professionals have also questioned his endorsement of holistic remedies and his opposition to abortion rights. During his confirmation hearing, Oz faced scrutiny over past statements, including his tentative support for the death penalty for fentanyl traffickers.
As CMS administrator, Oz will oversee an agency that spent more than $1.4 trillion in 2023 on Medicare and Medicaid, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The role involves regulating health insurance pricing and setting reimbursement policies for hospitals, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies.
Policy Challenges Ahead
Oz takes office amid congressional debates over potential cuts to Medicaid, which provides coverage for low-income Americans. While he has not explicitly opposed reductions, he has emphasized the need to improve care quality, citing physician reluctance to accept Medicaid patients due to low reimbursement rates.
“We have to make important decisions to improve the quality of care,” Oz told lawmakers last month. He has supported work requirements for Medicaid recipients but cautioned against using bureaucratic hurdles to block enrollment.
Kennedy’s budget cuts have already led to thousands of layoffs across federal health agencies. CMS is expected to lose roughly 300 employees, including staff focused on minority health initiatives, as part of cost-cutting measures.
Trump praised Oz’s nomination last year, calling him “uniquely qualified to make America healthy again.” Critics, however, remain skeptical of his unconventional medical views and lack of government experience.
Oz’s confirmation solidifies the administration’s push to overhaul U.S. healthcare policy, though his approach to managing CMS—and its trillion-dollar budget—will soon face real-world tests.