Dr. Mehmet Oz has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), elevating the celebrity heart surgeon and former talk show host to a role overseeing health care access for nearly half the U.S. population.
Oz now directs an agency with a $1.4 trillion budget that administers Medicare for seniors, people with disabilities, and survivors, as well as Medicaid, which serves low-income Americans.
During his confirmation hearing, lawmakers presented persistent questions about what changes Oz may endorse for these massive federal health programs.
Why It Matters
Oz’s leadership comes as the Trump administration seeks to reduce federal spending. Though President Donald Trump has insisted Medicare and Social Security won’t be touched, Medicaid changes have emerged as a possible target.
GOP proposals to impose work requirements or restrict eligibility could shrink enrollment by millions. Oz has not explicitly supported those changes—but he has not ruled them out either.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, attends his confirmation hearing with the Senate Finance Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Dr. Mehmet Oz, attends his confirmation hearing with the Senate Finance Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
What To Know
Although he has said, “I cherish Medicaid,” Oz repeatedly declined to state whether he would oppose funding cuts.
In a March Senate Finance Committee hearing, Oz avoided direct answers when asked if he would resist Trump administration proposals that would reduce Medicaid eligibility or introduce work requirements.
“We don’t have to order people to eat healthy. We have to make it easier for people to be healthy,” Oz said at the hearing, describing good health as a “patriotic duty.”
Oz added that the way to protect Medicaid is “by making sure that it’s viable at every level.” He also told legislators he supports Medicaid work requirements and that America needs to “make the system better.”
“When you expand the number of people on Medicaid without improving the resources required for those doctors to take care of those patients, you stretch resources very thinly for the people for whom Medicaid was originally designed,” Oz said. “They cannot be compromised, so we have to make some important decisions to improve the quality of care.”
Oz also reversed his praise of Medicare Advantage, a private-sector alternative to traditional Medicare that has drawn scrutiny for overbilling and limited provider networks. As Newsweek previously reported, Oz promoted these plans on his television show.
“Believe it or not, it is possible to get health insurance plans now with a $0 monthly premium,” he said in a segment on his show promoting Medicare Advantage, according to a video posted on his YouTube channel in August 2024. “Millions of people already are doing it and so could you.”
He also promised to expand Medicare Advantage coverage during his failed 2022 bid to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate. He called the plans popular and ones that provide “quality care” to people.
However, at his hearing, he criticized Medicare Advantage over concerns that plans boost their revenue by “upcoding” to get more government reimbursements. He said he will “go after” Medicare Advantage if he’s confirmed.
At his hearing, Oz acknowledged concerns about the program’s integrity but said he would address them as CMS administrator. He said he was committed to doing “whatever I can” to ensure Americans have access to “superb care.”
What People Are Saying
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon said at Oz’s confirmation hearing: “If confirmed, Dr. Oz will coddle the for-profit insurance companies.”
Wyden added: “Dr. Oz will be calling the shots on what gets cut and what stays.”
Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: “It is truly not definitive as of yet as to his stance on the issues, but as we know many of the people that have been put into positions are Trump loyalist, so they will likely want to move forward with campaign promises such as limiting the role of government and also reducing spending. With that comes the extension of work requirements for Medicaid recipients and of course block grants for the states.”
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “Some of the changes Oz favors could be welcome news to communities throughout the country struggling with healthcare deficiencies due to dwindling in-person options. His push for more integration of telehealth services and artificial intelligence in medical delivery could modernize government programs for the better.
At the same point, he’s largely kept quiet on potential cuts to programs like Medicare and Medicaid, calling into question what if any support he would give to the more recent proposals to slash funding to those programs and possibly add working requirements. His tenure is a wait-and-see as to just how he’ll approach the job.”
Dr. John Gallucci Jr., CEO of JAG Physical Therapy, told Newsweek: “His years of experience as a physician and former health care executive could be advantageous to turning Medicare around for the better. I believe that he will understand better than previous CMS leadership that in order to reduce costs, we need to invest into our physicians and allied health care providers.”
What Happens Next
Oz’s confirmation sets the stage for debates over the future of public health care.
While the Trump administration maintains Medicare is off-limits, proposals to reform Medicaid, including cost caps and work requirements, are likely to reach Oz’s desk soon.
The newly proposed budget from House Republicans calls for the Energy and Commerce Committee to reduce $880 billion in spending over the next decade.
While Medicaid and Medicare haven’t been specified as areas to cut, the committee will have to make final decisions, and Medicaid and Medicare are allotted a considerable portion of the committee’s funding.
“I do believe the work requirement will take effect which will impact some within the program,” Thompson said. “Some Americans will be forced to regularly submit paperwork or information that maintains their eligibility for the program, which could lead to people falling out the program due to lack of accessibility by which to confirm.”
