Dr. Mehmet Oz assured senators on Friday that if he becomes the next leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), he will focus on fighting healthcare fraud and promoting the health of Americans. However, the former heart surgeon and TV personality avoided directly answering whether he would oppose cuts to Medicaid, the government-funded program for low-income individuals.
Oz, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead CMS, also emphasized that technology such as artificial intelligence and telemedicine could be utilized to make healthcare more efficient and expand access to care.
In his opening remarks, Oz highlighted the “generational opportunity” to improve the healthcare system and help people maintain better health for longer.
During his two-and-a-half-hour questioning session before the Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee, Oz expressed that leading CMS would be a “monumental opportunity” to improve the nation’s health.
“We don’t have to order people to eat healthy, we have to make it easier for people to be healthy,” Oz stated, describing maintaining good health as a “patriotic duty.”
Republicans, who have rallied behind Trump’s nominees for health agency positions, questioned Oz about his strategies for eliminating fraud within the $1 trillion Medicare and Medicaid programs.
On the other hand, Democrats focused on pressing him about potential cuts to the state- and federally funded Medicaid program, a subject that Republicans are currently considering.
At 64, Oz is a former respected heart surgeon who later became a well-known TV personality. He is now aiming to oversee health insurance for approximately 150 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, or coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
Throughout his career, Oz promoted everything from supplements to private health insurance plans on his long-running TV show, “The Dr. Oz Show,” which aired for 13 seasons and helped him build considerable wealth.
Oz’s net worth is estimated to be between $98 million and $332 million, according to a review of his financial disclosure, which provides asset values in ranges but does not specify exact amounts. His most recent disclosure reveals that he owns millions of dollars in shares in health insurance, fertility, pharmaceutical, and vitamin companies. Oz has committed to selling off shares in dozens of companies that could create conflicts of interest if he becomes the CMS administrator.
As CMS administrator, Oz would have significant influence over the health companies operating in the U.S., as he would have the authority to decide what is covered under Medicare and Medicaid.
His confirmation hearing takes place as the Trump administration works to finalize appointments for key health agency positions. On Thursday, Senate committees advanced the nominations of Marty Makary, who is set to lead the Food and Drug Administration, and Jay Bhattacharya, who is nominated to head the National Institutes of Health, for a full Senate vote. However, the nomination of Dave Weldon for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was unexpectedly withdrawn on Thursday.
These men have all supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s call to “Make America Healthy Again,” a movement aimed at reshaping the nation’s food system, opposing vaccine mandates, and questioning certain long-established scientific research.
In a social media post last year, Oz praised Kennedy’s nomination for health secretary, stating, “Americans need better research on healthy lifestyle choices from unbiased scientists.”
This isn’t Oz’s first appearance before senators. In 2014, he faced criticism from several senators during a hearing about the questionable weight loss products he promoted on his TV show.