Dr. Mehmet Oz promised to fight health care fraud if he becomes the next leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. However, he did not commit to opposing cuts to Medicaid during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee.
Oz, a former heart surgeon and TV personality, said technology like artificial intelligence and telemedicine could make care more efficient and accessible. He noted that most Medicare Advantage plans provide an allowance for food purchases but give no real advice on how to use it wisely. Republican senators asked Oz about his plans for cutting costs from the trillion-dollar programs.
He talked about targeting insurers that bill for diagnoses that never lead to treatment and using telemedicine to improve care access in rural areas.
health care fraud fight
Oz suggested rural hospitals could form partnerships with larger institutions in nearby cities.
He said he wouldn’t want rural hospitals to close unless there was a better option. Democrats tried to get Oz to commit to not cutting Medicaid. Oz noted that doctors often dislike the program due to its low payments and may not want to accept Medicaid patients.
Oz expressed support for work requirements for Medicaid recipients but emphasized that bureaucracy should not be used to disenroll people who meet those requirements. He said expanding Medicaid eligibility without increasing resources for doctors has strained care options for the program’s core patients. Oz’s hearing occurred as the Trump administration seeks to finalize leadership posts for the nation’s top health agencies.
These men have supported Trump’s initiative to redesign the nation’s food supply, reject vaccine mandates, and scrutinize established scientific research.
