Trump names TV doc Dr. Oz to be in charge of Medicare, Medicaid

Donald Trump has named another former TV star to serve in his administration. 

This time, it’s Dr. Mehmet Oz, better known as just “Dr. Oz,” who hosted a syndicated daytime talk show by the same name from 2009 to 2022.

Trump has named him to serve as the chief administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. 

He will also be in charge of managing the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.” He is expected to work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been named as Trump’s pick to lead the HHS despite having little formal medical training and a history of peddling conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine rhetoric. 

The position requires U.S. Senate approval.

As with many of Trump’s other appointees, Oz has only a cursory connection to the agency he will be charged with managing. Oz is a medical doctor and cardiothoracic surgeon, but has no significant experience with managing such complex programs as Medicare, Medicaid or the ACA, which spend billions of dollars every year to support the health care needs of millions of Americans.

Oz did pen an article in 2020 that suggested creating a ““Medicare Advantage for All” system that would shift Americans not on Medicaid, a health care program for adults and children with lower incomes, to plans backed by private insurance companies, which would be funded by a 20% payroll tax, with 10% of the cost going to employers and 10% to workers. Some analysts have noted that Oz’s plan bears similarities to Kamala Harris’ “Medicare for All” proposal touted during the campaign.

Despite Oz co-writing the article proposing the advantage-backed system and suggesting a way to fund it, since the idea was published in a privately owned publication, it was not subject to significant scrutiny by other government agencies or other reviews. 

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Oz’s medical experience is also marred with controversy, especially for claims he made about medical conditions and treatments on his talk show, many of which had little to no research to support their effectiveness. 

He initially supported some COVID-19 measures, including getting at least one dose of the vaccine, but later became more critical of shot and mask mandates.

Oz’s talk show ended in 2022 after it was announced he would run for Pennsylvania’s senate seat as a Republican.

Several stations in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York region dropped his show almost immediately over concerns over equal time rules. 

He lost the race, which was marred with controversy about his past support of questionable medical claims and his actual state of residence. He also became more closely aligned with MAGA and Trump views.

Republican lawmakers had widely praised Oz’s nomination, citing him as a “qualified” candidate for the role, though often without any evidence of his experience. 

Oz got his start on TV thanks to Oprah Winfrey, who endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. He made regular appearances on her show before launching his own, which was produced by Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and Sony.

Oz is the son of Turkish immigrants and is Muslim. Immigrants and followers of Islam have been widely attacked by MAGA followers.