New Trump appointee Dr. Oz supports privatizing health care
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, despite Oz’s record supporting the expansion of the private health insurance system.
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, despite Oz’s record supporting the expansion of the private health insurance system.
Trump made the announcement via Truth Social on Tuesday afternoon, saying Oz will work closely with Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to “make America healthy again.”
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 19, 2024
Medicare provides health insurance to seniors over the age of 65, while Medicaid provides for low-income individuals. Oz will be overseeing nearly $1 trillion of annual federal spending on public health and report directly to Kennedy if both men’s nominations are approved.
In 2009, Oz told the Seattle Times that he believes the United States should have universal health care, suggesting that the government should provide health insurance for people who can’t afford it. That year, he also told CNN that he likes the health care systems of Germany and Switzerland, who provide universal health care backed by the government.
However, Oz significantly shifted his health care views when he became a Senate candidate in the early 2020’s. In 2020, he co-wrote an op-ed endorsing a plan called Medicare Advantage Plus, which would expand the for-profit private health insurance system. Many seniors today are bombarded by advertisements urging them to switch to Medicare Advantage plans, which have been found to complicate the processes for receiving health care. These complications include limited provider networks, geographical restrictions and preauthorized referrals.
Oz did not respond to a request to comment on whether he still supports the full privatization of health care.
From 2009-22, Oz hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a health-centered television program where he promoted questionable medical advice and products. Some of his claims were scrutinized for lack of evidence, with one study from the British Medical Journal suggesting that at least half the claims on his show were either baseless or wrong.
In 2012, Oz said the “holy grail of cancer prevention” was selenium supplements. Two years later, the National Library of Medicine released a study suggesting that there is no evidence of Oz’s claim and that excessive intakes of selenium can increase risk of serious medical issues like kidney failure and heart attacks. Oz also made a dubious claim that foods like red onions and sea bass can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by up to 75%, which was refuted by experts.
Oz served in the first Trump administration when he was appointed to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition in 2018. Trump also backed Oz’s failed run for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, where he was defeated by now-Sen. John Fetterman (D) in the 2022 midterms.
During his Senate run, Oz was at the center of numerous controversies, including his loose ties to Pennsylvania, bashing the Affordable Care Act and saying local politicians should have a say in abortion procedures.
