WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Dr. Mehmet Oz, told the Senate Finance Committee on Friday that the public health crisis in the US poses a national security threat.
“It adds to the national debt that is defeating us from within, crowding out other essential services, and we are, in addition, witnessing fellow Americans suffering needlessly, which I believe is a moral failing,” Oz said during his confirmation hearing.
Oz, the 64-year-old Turkish-American who is a former television personality and heart surgeon, emphasized the need to modernize the healthcare system to ensure Americans receive better care.
“We have a generational opportunity to fix our health care system and help people stay healthy for longer. That’s why President Trump wants to love and cherish Medicare and Medicaid because he believes every American should get the care they want, need and deserve,” he said.
Outlining his priorities for CMS, Oz pledged to take steps to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse within Medicare and Medicaid.
“This will stop unscrupulous people from stealing from vulnerable Americans and extend the life of the Medicare trust fund,” he said. “I ask your permission to start sprinting after these goals, so together, we can provide access to better care, deliver better outcomes, and make America healthy again.”
Oz also highlighted his personal journey in medicine, linking his experience as the son of Turkish immigrant Dr. Mustafa Oz, a thoracic cardiovascular surgeon, to his passion for public health.
“For me, this commitment has been a lifelong passion,” he said, “My physician father, when he came here and he immigrated, saw America as a beacon of hope, a land of opportunity, where everyone's decisions mattered.”
He, however, faced pushback from Senate Democrats, who challenged him on potential cuts to Medicaid and Medicare.
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) pressed Oz on whether he would oppose cuts in the Medicaid program. Oz did not provide a direct answer but instead emphasized the need to ensure the program’s viability.
“I want to make sure that the patients today and in the future have resources to protect them if they get ill. The way you protect Medicaid is by making sure that it's viable at every level, which includes having enough practitioners to afford the services, paying them enough to do what you request of them,” he responded.