Tomorrow, March 14, 2025, the Senate Finance Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for President Trump’s nominee to be the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Dr. Mehmet Oz. As discussed in a recent CMA Alert, Dr. Oz has been a proponent of “Medicare Advantage for All,” which would force all Medicare beneficiaries into private plans. A recent New York Times article highlighted that Dr. Oz, a “relentless promoter of controversial private insurance plans for older Americans,” not only holds significant stock in the largest Medicare Advantage (MA) plan sponsor, UnitedHealth, but also promoted MA plans on his TV show and became a licensed broker “with the idea that he could sell plans directly to viewers.” The country needs a CMS Administrator who will promote, protect, and enhance the traditional Medicare program instead of trying to privatize it. The Center for Medicare Advocacy urges the Finance Committee to thoroughly question Dr. Oz on his current stance and financial ties to the MA industry. Given his track record, however, we urge the Senate to reject this nomination.
March 13, 2025 – D. Lipschutz