Senators Press CMS Nominee Dr. Oz on Medicaid Cuts at Confirmation Hearing
Oz, a former surgeon and TV personality, pledged during his Senate confirmation hearing to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to fight waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system — an argument being used by some Republicans to defend the possible cuts. However, he made no commitments to protect Medicaid funding. “I want to make sure that the patients today and in the future have resources to protect them if they get ill,” Oz said. “The way you protect Medicaid is by making sure that it’s viable at every level.” As CMS administrator, Oz would oversee Medicaid, as well as Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare. Together, the programs provide health insurance for roughly half the U.S. population.
Dr. Mehmet Oz promised senators on Friday to fight health care fraud and push to make Americans healthier if he becomes the next leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But the former heart surgeon and TV personality dodged several opportunities to say broadly whether he would oppose cuts to Medicaid, the government-funded program for people with low incomes. Oz, President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next CMS administrator, also said technology like artificial intelligence and telemedicine could be a key in making care more efficient and accessible. “We have a generational opportunity to fix our health care system and help people stay healthy for longer,” he said.
While Oz's medical expertise was not widely challenged Friday, his motivations were. Dubbed "America's Doctor" by Oprah Winfrey, Oz used his TV platform at times to promote alternative health remedies, endorsing questionable weight loss solutions like green coffee extract and raspberry ketones. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., sought to get Oz to admit that his promotion of certain supplements for weight loss, such as green coffee extract, were fraudulent. While Oz admitted green coffee extract is not a miracle weight loss drug, he argued that he never promoted it as such. "There are many things I said on the show. I take great pride in the research we did at the time to identify which of these worked and which ones didn't. Many of them are still being researched, like the green coffee bean extract you just mentioned," Oz told Hassan. The senator then inquired how much he was paid to promote these products, and Oz responded that he got nothing.
Dr. Mehmet Oz testified before the Senate finance committee on Friday. The former heart surgeon emphasized the need to strengthen healthcare while ensuring its long-term sustainability. Oz also voiced his support for work requirements for Medicaid recipients, saying it would help ensure resources go to those most in need.
Senate Democrats say Dr. Oz underpaid Medicare and Social Security taxes by $440,000. A review of Oz's tax returns from 2021 to 2023 found the TV doctor paid no taxes in 2023. Oz argued that as a "limited partner" in the business, he was not liable.