Dr. Oz Confirmed to Lead U.S. Medicare and Medicaid in Controversial Senate Vote
By Bizmart News – Health & Politics Desk
In a move that has stunned many in the U.S. healthcare and political arenas, Dr. Mehmet Oz — celebrity surgeon and former daytime television host — has been officially confirmed as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), one of the most powerful agencies in American healthcare.
The Republican-controlled Senate voted 53-45 along party lines on Thursday to approve Oz’s appointment, which was put forward by President Donald Trump in 2024. Oz will now oversee programs covering nearly half the U.S. population, with control over over $1.4 trillion in annual healthcare spending.
From TV Doctor to Federal Health Chief
Best known for his role on The Dr. Oz Show and earlier appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the 64-year-old has no experience in public office and has faced longstanding criticism from medical professionals for promoting questionable treatments — including unproven diet pills, homeopathy, and “miracle” cures.
He also came under fire for promoting the controversial use of malaria drugs as potential Covid-19 treatments during the early pandemic.
Nonetheless, Trump described him as a “highly qualified physician” who could “make America healthy again,” signaling a continued alignment with anti-establishment and alternative medicine rhetoric in federal health policy.
Mounting Controversy and Criticism
Healthcare leaders and Democratic lawmakers have expressed alarm over Oz’s track record and the ideological direction the CMS may take under his leadership.
Additionally, Oz faced scrutiny during the confirmation process for allegedly failing to pay over $400,000 in Medicare taxes on media income from 2021 to 2023. His team denies wrongdoing, citing clearance from the Office of Government Ethics.
Despite the concerns, Oz will now work alongside U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., forming a highly unconventional leadership duo tasked with reforming what they call the “illness industrial complex.”
Bizmart Insight:
Dr. Oz’s confirmation marks a dramatic shift in U.S. healthcare governance—one blending celebrity influence, political loyalty, and medical controversy. With CMS controlling massive spending and critical insurance policy, his leadership could reshape access, pricing, and the future of federal healthcare regulation.
