Trump Taps Dr. Mehmet Oz to Lead Medicaid Agency
Donald Trump has announced Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor and former television host, as his pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency responsible for the healthcare of millions of Americans.
“Dr. Oz is uniquely qualified to Make America Healthy Again,” Trump said in a statement, referencing his slogan-inspired endorsement.
A cardiothoracic surgeon by training, Oz gained fame as a health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the early 2000s before hosting his own popular daytime program, The Dr. Oz Show. Despite his medical credentials, Oz has faced scrutiny over his promotion of controversial health products and unproven treatments.
During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oz advocated for using malaria drugs such as hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, which experts later deemed ineffective. Critics have also raised concerns over his endorsement of “miracle” weight loss pills and alternative therapies that many say lack scientific backing.
The Trump transition team defended the nomination, stating that Oz would work closely with Health Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to challenge what they called the “illness industrial complex” and address chronic disease.
If confirmed by the Senate, Oz will take charge of an agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid, two programs providing health coverage to over 150 million Americans. In 2023, the federal government spent $1.4 trillion on these programs, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Trump praised Oz’s leadership potential, stating he would focus on reducing waste and fraud in the government’s most costly healthcare agency. The Republican platform also aims to expand healthcare access, increase transparency, and foster competition in the pharmaceutical sector.
Oz, now 64, spent years as a practicing heart and lung surgeon at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University. While his television career skyrocketed, his reputation among medical experts faltered due to what many viewed as the commercialization of his medical advice.
A Senate hearing in 2014 spotlighted Oz’s promotion of unproven supplements, with lawmakers grilling him over claims such as pills that could “flush fat” or reduce belly fat effortlessly. Though Oz denied profiting directly from these products, disclosures during his unsuccessful 2022 Senate campaign in Pennsylvania revealed financial ties to healthcare companies.
The CMS director role is critical in shaping U.S. healthcare policy, regulating insurance markets, and setting reimbursement rates for hospitals, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies. Oz’s appointment signals a controversial yet strategic shift as the Trump administration seeks to overhaul the country’s sprawling healthcare system.
Senate confirmation hearings are expected next year, where Dr. Oz’s qualifications—and controversies—will likely be the subject of intense debate.
