WASHINGTON, DC, USA — President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday, November 19, 2024, that Mehmet Oz, the television personality and former Republican Senate candidate, would be his choice to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS.
The appointment places Dr Oz at the helm of an agency responsible for healthcare programmes serving nearly half of all Americans.
The CMS oversees Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Healthcare.gov, which collectively represent $1.6 trillion in federal spending—nearly a quarter of the national budget.
Trump, in his announcement, praised Oz’s medical expertise and media presence, framing the decision as part of a broader effort to address the nation’s health care challenges.
“America is facing a healthcare crisis, and there may be no physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again,” Trump said in a statement.
He described Oz as “an eminent physician, heart surgeon, inventor, and world-class communicator” with decades of experience promoting healthy living.
“Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake,” Trump added, referencing his recent selection of Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic and outspoken critic of the pharmaceutical industry, as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Reform Agenda
Trump outlined his expectations for Oz, highlighting goals to incentivise disease prevention, reduce health care costs, and combat fraud and waste within CMS.
“Our broken healthcare system harms everyday Americans and crushes our country’s budget,” Trump said.
“Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivising disease prevention, so we get the best results in the world for every dollar we spend on healthcare in our great country.”
The CMS role will be crucial in shaping Trump’s broader health care policies, including reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, which are projected to grow in cost as the population ages.
Oz’s Background
A cardiac surgeon by training, Oz gained national prominence as the host of The Dr. Oz Show, a syndicated daytime television program focused on health and wellness, which aired for over a decade.
He transitioned into politics as the Republican candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2022, ultimately losing to Democrat John Fetterman.
Oz’s media career has not been without controversy, with critics questioning his promotion of unproven medical treatments.
However, his expertise as a physician and communicator has made him a polarising but prominent figure in the health care conversation.
Oz would replace Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the current CMS administrator appointed by President Joe Biden.
Brooks-LaSure focused her tenure on expanding access to Medicaid and improving the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
A Divisive Partnership
The pairing of Oz with Kennedy, who has drawn criticism for his vaccine scepticism and conspiracy theories, underscores Trump’s unconventional approach to health policy.
The two appointees are expected to collaborate closely on Trump’s goal to overhaul the U.S. health care system, which he has criticised as costly and inefficient.
Oz’s nomination is subject to Senate confirmation, and his professional credentials and past controversies are likely to be the focus of debate.
