Dr. Mehmet Oz moved one step closer to becoming the next Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator after the Senate Finance Committee advanced his nomination Tuesday by a party-line vote of 14-13, The Hill reported.
The vote sets up a full Senate showdown over Oz’s role in overseeing the $1.7 trillion agency, which administers health coverage for more than 130 million Americans through Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
Democrats raised alarms over Oz’s previous support for privatizing Medicare and his unwillingness to commit to protecting Medicaid from potential cuts by the Trump administration.
“Dr. Oz’s plans to privatize Medicare would deliver worse care to 66 million Americans and waste billions of taxpayer dollars — all while giving giant insurance companies a fat paycheck. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are already gutting Social Security. The Trump administration does not care about America’s seniors,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in a statement after the vote.
Republicans, however, lauded Oz as a reform-minded nominee poised to modernize and improve federal health care programs. Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, defended the pick ahead of the vote.
“There is no doubt that Dr. Oz will work tirelessly to deliver much-needed change at CMS,” Crapo said. “He will focus on modernizing federal health care programs, work to fix our broken clinician payment system, and will partner with Congress to achieve pharmaceutical benefit manager reform.”
In his confirmation hearing, Oz showcased his well-known media savvy but avoided direct answers to questions about how he would approach key issues under his leadership. He emphasized his intent to improve health outcomes and efficiency but was repeatedly criticized for vague responses.
“During his confirmation hearing, Dr. Oz was given the chance to assure the American people that he would not be a rubber stamp for Republicans’ plans to gut Medicaid and hike ACA premiums. At every turn, he failed the test,” said Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Finance Committee ranking member. “When I asked him a yes or no question about whether he would protect Medicaid, he dodged and weaved and refused to answer.”
Wyden added: “This lack of responsiveness to Congress should be unacceptable to every member of this Committee. But the Republican majority once again seems eager to disregard their congressional oversight responsibility when Trump is calling the shots.”
Oz also faced scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest. Critics pointed to his financial and personal ties to companies that receive CMS payments as a significant ethical concern.
Democrats further questioned Oz’s limited experience in federal policy and administration, arguing that his lack of familiarity with the intricacies of health programs could hamper his ability to lead the agency effectively.
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