Dr. Mehmet Oz is under pressure to make clear where he stands on health care as he prepares to join the Trump administration, as more Americans see health care as a government responsibility.
Senator Elizabeth Warren and six other Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Tuesday expressing their concerns.
Lawmakers are demanding answers from Oz about his past calls to abolish Medicare in its current form and about his ties to the private insurance industry.
Democrats noted that while Oz is a renowned heart surgeon, they had questions about his lack of qualifications and management experience to run the health care programs that provide coverage to 160 million Americans.
Trump nominated Oz, who made his name as a TV doctor, on Nov. 20 to oversee Medicare and Medicaid.
If confirmed, he would be in charge of programs that provide coverage to 160 million Americans.
But the seven lawmakers raised questions about the television personality and a former Republican Senate candidate’s former “previous advocacy for Medicare privatization” and private insurance holdings.
Lawmakers pointed to a proposal from Oz before his failed Senate bid in which he called for uninsured Americans to be able to get coverage through the Medicare Advantage program, a plan offered by approved private companies.
“This plan would completely eliminate Traditional Medicare – a program you have criticized as ‘highly dysfunctional,’ but which provides more accessible and less expensive care than private insurers in Medicare Advantage,” they wrote.
Democrats send letter to Dr. Mehmet Oz and demands answers about his views on health care coverage as he is asked to lead CMS, which administers programs covering 160 million people
The lawmakers argued that private insurers running Medicare Advantage programs are “charging dramatically more for care” and pointed to a report that such insurers will overcharge CMS by $83 billion this year alone compared to traditional Medicare.
They also cited claims from watchdogs that Medicare Advantage insurers regularly delay and deny care.
“Your advocacy for eliminating the Traditional Medicare program and replacing it with Medicare Advantage also raises questions about your own financial conflicts of interest,” the lawmakers wrote.
They pointed to Oz’s 2022 financial disclosure, in which he reported owning more than half a million shares of UnitedHealth, the largest private insurer in Medicare Advantage.
Democrats pointed to the antitrust scrutiny UnitedHealth is currently facing, including upgrading Medicare Advantage enrollees to receive higher CMS payments.
“As CMS administrator, you would be tasked with overseeing Medicare and ensuring that the tens of millions of seniors who rely on the program get the care they deserve, including cracking down on abuse by private insurers in Medicare Advantage, the seven lawmakers wrote.
‘The consequences of any failure on your part would be serious. Billions of federal health care dollars – and millions of lives – are at stake,” she added.
Trump announced last month that Oz was his choice to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was one of seven Democratic lawmakers who sent a letter to Dr. Oz demanding answers about his views on health insurance and financial ties to the industry. She was joined by Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley, Richard Blumenthal, Dick Durbin and Representative Loyd Doggett
Lawmakers sent Oz a list of questions asking him to respond by December 24.
They wanted to know if he still believed traditional Medicare to be “highly dysfunctional” and supported policies to eliminate it.
They also asked whether he would be willing to completely divest any financial interests related to the insurance industry and commit to refraining from decisions that could affect insurers in which he has a financial interest if confirmed as administrator.
Their letter comes as more Americans believe it is the federal government’s responsibility to ensure that all Americans have health care coverage.
According to the Gallup survey, 62 percent of Americans believe this is a government responsibility, the highest in more than a decade.
Only 36 percent of Americans believe that ensuring coverage is not the federal government’s responsibility.
However, these figures break down along political party lines.
90 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of independents believe this is a government responsibility. But only 32 percent of Republicans do so, only a slight increase from 30 percent in 2020.
Americans are also divided over whether they prefer a government-run system or private insurance.
49 percent said in the Gallup survey that they prefer private health care, while 46 percent said government-run. But among Republicans, support for government-run health care is the highest it has ever been at 21 percent.