Trump nominee Dr. Oz to take helm of CMS, prompting congratulations and criticism

Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA, will take the helm of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The U.S. Senate voted 53-45 to confirm the heart surgeon turned television host turned Senate candidate. He succeeds Chiquita Brooks-LaSure as CMS Administrator.

Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA
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Oz, an Ivy League-trained physician, became known in medicine, then to the general public as a health expert guest for television host Oprah Winfrey. He had his own television show for 13 years, earning Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, before running for the Senate as a Republican candidate from Pennsylvania. Oz also has faced criticism for endorsing products and offering “lucrative but evidence-free advice” on health and medicine, as one author argued during Oz’ Senate campaign.

Reforming PBMs?

The vote prompted statements of congratulations and condemnation, for Oz directly, his boss, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the administration of President Donald J. Trump.

The White House and Congress have not taken action yet on prescription drug prices and policy. But legislation is ready to go, and Oz can lead the nation on that and other pressing health care issues, said a statement from Steven C. Anderson, president and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS). That organization has its sights set squarely on laws to regulate and reform drug pricing by reining in pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

“NACDS looks forward to working with Dr. Oz and with CMS to help address the chronic disease crisis,” Anderson said. “The United States still focuses more on ‘sick care’ than on ‘health care.’ Pharmacies are vital to the prevention and management of chronic disease. We look forward to collaborating to leverage pharmacy patient care completely for the American people.”

‘A grave threat’

Oz as CMS leaders “represents a grave threat to Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act in this country,” said Mona Shah, senior director of policy and strategy at Community Catalyst, a national organization dedicated to health equity and access.

“Oz’s confirmation, like Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s, is a large step backwards on health justice. And vulnerable communities will suffer as a result,” Shah said. “Dr. Oz’ record is clear. He has a long and well-documented history of promoting questionable medical practices over evidence-based care and he has consistently undermined the principles of health equity and justice. And he will gladly rubber stamp Republicans' plans to gut the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and privatize Medicare.”

‘An accomplished physician, an innovator’

Two congressional lawmakers in key positions overseeing health care-related issues published a joint statement congratulating Oz on the new role. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky), leads the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-Georgia), a pharmacist, chairs its Subcommittee on Health.

“CMS plays an integral role in ensuring Americans can access health care, particularly for seniors, pregnant women, children, and individuals with disabilities,” they said. “Dr. Oz is an accomplished physician, an innovator, and a world-class communicator, who will help modernize the agency by utilizing new cutting-edge technology that empowers health care providers to better serve the American people. We look forward to partnering with him to improve health outcomes for Americans.”

‘Less healthy and less safe’

Before the Senate vote, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) launched another verbal blast against the administration of President Donald J. Trump and his pick for a CMS leader who will gut Medicare, Medicaid and public confidence in government leadership on health.

“Everything this administration is doing is an effort to make you and your family less healthy and less safe,” said Wyden, who has become a vocal critic of the administration. “Dr. Oz is yet another slick salesman peddling unproven cures and treatments, and encouraging people to ignore proven facts and science.

“The dangers of promoting unqualified wellness grifters to be in charge of health care in our country aren’t just talking points, they’re real, and they’re deadly,” Wyden said in his statement to the Senate before the vote. “This week, Trump and Senate Republicans are gearing up to pass their massive tax giveaway to billionaires and corporations. They’re paying for it by gutting Medicaid and cutting off the services that millions of Americans rely on.”

After the vote, Wyden invited Oz to a town hall in Malheur County in Wyden’s home state. The goal is to hear directly about the importance of Medicaid in the county with the state’s highest enrollment in the Oregon Health Plan, a federal-state program that serves seniors, children, and families.

“The importance of Medicaid in Malheur County cannot be overstated,” Wyden said in a letter to Oz. “The Oregon Health Plan helps kids have access to counseling at school, support they would not receive otherwise. It allows kids and adults with disabilities to go to school, go to work, and thrive at home, in their communities, because they have access to home-based care. And it is what guarantees life-saving treatment for the sickest Oregonians, in their darkest hours.”