By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former television personality and 2022 Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz was sworn in Friday as the new administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), stepping into the role as the agency faces the threat of significant budget cuts.
Dr. Oz, who rose to fame hosting The Dr. Oz Show and later ran unsuccessfully for Senate in Pennsylvania, will now oversee programs that provide health coverage to roughly 150 million Americans.
“Every great society, everyone has an opportunity to take care of its most vulnerable and treasures that opportunity,” Oz said in the Oval Office Friday. “And we’re a great people, so we will do the same.”
Oz’s swearing in comes as Democratic lawmakers and some health care advocates raise concerns that Medicaid could be on the chopping block under Republican leadership. The GOP’s recent budget framework outlines sweeping cuts to federal spending — with critics warning that Medicaid could be one of the biggest targets.
“Medicaid isn’t just a program, it’s the foundation that enables millions of Americans to care for loved ones with serious illnesses, disabilities or aging needs in the dignity of their own homes,” said Jason Resendez, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving.
“There will be no cuts. We’re not going to have any cuts. We’re going to have only help,” said President Trump. “He’ll [Dr. Oz] ensure that criminals, fraudsters and illegal aliens are not permitted to rob America’s seniors. They are trying, but they’re not going to get away with it.”
Dr. Oz echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that one of his main focuses will be rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid.
“We want to crush fraud, waste and abuse. We are going to stop people from stealing from our most vulnerable,” said Oz. “We are coming for you,” he added, while also pointing to what he described as misuses of Medicaid dollars.
“Medicaid is the number one budget item for many states, and it is crowding out education and other important social programs. The states are having a big problem — and that’s with the federal government paying most of the bill,” said Dr. Oz. “Tens of millions of dollars, Mr. President, are being spent on illegal immigrants receiving Medicaid in California, and they’re pushing the bill to us. Should we stop that? I think so. That will not continue.”
“There are states who are using Medicaid dollars, for people who are vulnerable, are being used for non-medical purposes. For example, public labor unions are getting childcare through some of this money,” said Oz. “There’s a big problem with student loan repayments taking place with Medicaid dollars. That’s not where it should be used.”
Beyond administrative reforms, Oz called on Americans to take personal responsibility for their health.
“Seventy percent of the health care expenditures of this country are driven by chronic disease,” he said. “It is your patriotic duty of all Americans, to take care of themselves. Healthy people don’t consume health care resources. The best way to reduce drug spending is to use less drugs, because you don’t need them because you’re healthy.”
Major decisions lie ahead for Dr. Oz — and this time, millions of Americans will be watching closely, not for medical tips on television, but for the choices he’ll make about the programs many of them depend on.
“But I’m optimistic,” Oz said. “Because we control our destiny. At its very core, we have a generational opportunity — a unique ability to save the health care system, because we control all the big pieces.”
