Tv host and surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz confronted intense questioning throughout a Senate listening to on Friday relating to his nomination to steer the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Companies (CMS), a pivotal company overseeing well being protection for over 160 million People.
President Donald Trump had beforehand praised Oz, claiming, “There could also be no doctor extra certified and succesful than Dr. Oz to Make America Wholesome Once more” when nominating him for the position. Throughout the listening to, Oz emphasised his dedication to empowering sufferers, addressing fraud, and defending weak populations whereas tackling continual ailments to scale back federal well being spending.
“I decide to doing no matter I can, working tirelessly, to make sure that CMS supplies People with entry to excellent care, particularly People who’re our most weak — our younger, our disabled and our aged,” Oz acknowledged.
Nonetheless, Senate Democrats pressed him on points surrounding potential Medicaid cuts, his historical past of selling various well being cures on tv, and his previous monetary dealings. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., raised issues about Oz’s file on paying Medicare and Social Safety taxes and questioned his involvement in what he termed “wellness grifting.”
In response to questions on Medicaid, Oz acknowledged he had not seen any proposed Home invoice that sought to chop this system. He reassured lawmakers, significantly Senator Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., that he didn’t need youngsters to lose their medical health insurance.
Senators additionally requested Oz about non-public Medicare plans, with Senator Invoice Cassidy, R-La., inquiring about prior authorization practices that delay care. Oz agreed that these practices are sometimes misused and recommended introducing clearer tips for his or her use.
On drug pricing, Oz known as for “full and radical transparency” from pharmacy profit managers, criticizing the dearth of transparency in pricing and claiming that it leads to inflated prices.
Oz’s monetary historical past additionally got here underneath scrutiny, with senators referencing his 2022 Senate bid monetary disclosures. He beforehand reported holding vital shares in well being firms regulated by CMS, together with UnitedHealth Group, CVS Well being, Amazon, and Microsoft.
The CMS is among the largest well being care purchasers globally, overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, and spending $1.5 trillion in fiscal 2024. It processes over one billion Medicare claims yearly and screens well being care high quality via inspections and audits.