Former television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz is President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Trump announced the unexpected appointment on Tuesday.
Oz, who unsuccessfully ran for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania last year, will oversee health insurance programs used by over 150 million Americans if confirmed. This continues Trump's trend of selecting familiar faces from television for government roles, following picks from Fox News and Fox Business for other agencies.
CMS manages Medicare, the health program for seniors, and Medicaid, which assists low-income individuals and families. The agency has a massive impact, controlling around 25% of all federal spending. Its decisions on healthcare regulations, payments to doctors and hospitals, and drug costs have wide-ranging consequences.
"CMS touches virtually every family in America through Medicaid and Medicare, and it's probably the most challenging technical, policy and political job in government," said Drew Altman, president of the health research group KFF. "Even small almost daily decisions at CMS are billion-dollar decisions that affect industries and patients with serious illnesses who really care."
Trump stated that Oz will collaborate with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to address chronic illnesses. He praised Oz's Emmy-winning television career promoting public health education.
However, Oz, a heart surgeon, has no prior experience in government. He previously proposed replacing employer-provided health insurance with a system similar to Medicare Advantage, funded by a payroll tax. This differs from typical Republican healthcare policies and aligns more closely with a "Medicare for All" concept previously put forward by Democrats.
Oz's stance on Medicaid, which faces potential cuts and restrictions from Republican lawmakers, remains unclear. He has also expressed support for expanding health coverage while criticizing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which his agency would oversee.
During his Senate campaign, Oz drew criticism for promoting unverified COVID-19 treatments and opposing pandemic-related restrictions. His appointment is likely to be met with scrutiny given his lack of government experience and past controversial stances.
Oz, who unsuccessfully ran for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania last year, will oversee health insurance programs used by over 150 million Americans if confirmed. This continues Trump's trend of selecting familiar faces from television for government roles, following picks from Fox News and Fox Business for other agencies.
CMS manages Medicare, the health program for seniors, and Medicaid, which assists low-income individuals and families. The agency has a massive impact, controlling around 25% of all federal spending. Its decisions on healthcare regulations, payments to doctors and hospitals, and drug costs have wide-ranging consequences.
"CMS touches virtually every family in America through Medicaid and Medicare, and it's probably the most challenging technical, policy and political job in government," said Drew Altman, president of the health research group KFF. "Even small almost daily decisions at CMS are billion-dollar decisions that affect industries and patients with serious illnesses who really care."
Trump stated that Oz will collaborate with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to address chronic illnesses. He praised Oz's Emmy-winning television career promoting public health education.
However, Oz, a heart surgeon, has no prior experience in government. He previously proposed replacing employer-provided health insurance with a system similar to Medicare Advantage, funded by a payroll tax. This differs from typical Republican healthcare policies and aligns more closely with a "Medicare for All" concept previously put forward by Democrats.
Oz's stance on Medicaid, which faces potential cuts and restrictions from Republican lawmakers, remains unclear. He has also expressed support for expanding health coverage while criticizing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which his agency would oversee.
During his Senate campaign, Oz drew criticism for promoting unverified COVID-19 treatments and opposing pandemic-related restrictions. His appointment is likely to be met with scrutiny given his lack of government experience and past controversial stances.
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