Dr. Mehmet Oz, the former heart surgeon and daytime television star, is now tasked with overseeing the nation’s largest health insurance programs.
On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Oz, 53-45, along party lines to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Known for promoting controversial therapies and unproven COVID-19 cures, such as hydroxychloroquine, Oz’s new role will involve making decisions that impact the insurance coverage of over 160 million people.
Oz will oversee physician payments through Medicare, which often sets the benchmark for commercial insurers, and will be responsible for managing more than $1.5 trillion in federal spending across Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges. He must also navigate regulatory challenges while dealing with fewer resources, following a significant restructuring at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which led to 10,000 job losses.
Despite unclear specifics, it’s known that 300 people were let go from CMS, and further cuts affected offices like the Office of Minority Health and regional offices supporting states and community groups on Medicare.
Before his confirmation, Oz was a popular TV host from 2009 to 2022, often discussing wellness topics. His promotion of questionable treatments sparked controversy, notably during a 2014 Senate hearing. Now, as CMS head, he faces challenges like Medicaid reform, with some Republicans seeking $880 billion in savings and targeting Medicaid, which they argue is wasteful and inefficient.
