This Mistake Must Not be Followed by Confirming Dr. Oz as CMS Administrator
The United States Senate voted 52-48 today, almost completely along party lines, to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Center for Medicare Advocacy opposed his nomination. During his confirmation hearings, Mr. Kennedy displayed shocking ignorance about the Medicare and Medicaid programs that he is now responsible for running. He also actively opposed an historic staffing rule for nursing homes and continued to raise red flags about adherence to established science. As we noted, Mr. Kennedy’s lack of knowledge about Medicare and Medicaid make it more likely that he will rely on and defer to others to oversee the programs, including the incoming Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The current nominee for CMS Administrator, TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, has advocated for “Medicare Advantage for All” – a prospect that would fully privatize the Medicare program. Medicare Advantage for All would diminish access to care for Medicare beneficiaries and accelerate financial pressures on the program overall. As we have explained, this position is even more extreme than Project 2025’s proposal to make Medicare Advantage the default Medicare coverage option, which would ostensibly retain a diminished traditional Medicare program. With Mr. Kennedy’s confirmation, along with that of a Project 2025 “architect” to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, the stakes just got higher. The older adults and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare need a CMS Administrator who will look after the interests of all Medicare beneficiaries and not force them into private coverage. We urge the Senate to not confirm Dr. Oz.
February 13, 2025 – D. Lipschutz