Democratic senators wary of Mehmet Oz running Medicare, citing past push for privatization

Several Democratic lawmakers are raising new concerns about Dr. Mehmet Oz’s previous push to privatize Medicare as he’s on the cusp of overseeing the program.

Democratic lawmakers are raising concerns about President-elect Trump's choice of Mehmet Oz to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. They cite his past comments about privatizing Medicare.

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Oz as his nominee to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Oz, the well-known heart surgeon and talk show host, has suggested in the past that Americans who aren’t on Medicaid should be automatically entered into privately-run Medicare Advantage programs.

Four Democratic senators and a Democratic House members have sent a letter to Oz outlining their concerns about his nomination, which must be confirmed by the Senate. They pointed to the fact that he has never run a large health organization or federal health agency, concerns which emerged after Trump said he wanted Oz to run CMS. But now they are expressing uneasiness over his past advocacy for privatization of Medicare, and are seeking clarity in his position on protecting Medicare as his nomination is considered.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, all signed the letter.

“We have questions about your lack of qualifications for this job: although you were a renowned heart surgeon, you have no management experience relevant to running these critical health care programs. But we are equally concerned about your previous advocacy for Medicare privatization,” the lawmakers wrote.

• Read more: Concerns mount over prospect of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading HHS

Oz and former Kaiser Permanente CEO George Halvorson co-authored a 2020 piece in Forbes advocating that all Americans who aren’t on Medicaid should be enrolled in Medicare Advantage programs. They proposed financing that plan through a 20% payroll tax on all citizens split between employees and employers.

In his unsuccessful 2022 campaign for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, Oz modified that stance a bit, suggesting Medicare Advantage plans can be expanded since they are popular among seniors, as he told the AARP.

Pointing to his past statements in favor of privativzation, the lawmakers questioned whether Oz would preserve Medicare, and how he would serve as a watchdog for the private insurance companies running Medicare Advantage programs.

“As CMS Administrator, you would be tasked with overseeing Medicare and ensuring that the tens of millions of seniors that rely on the program receive the care they deserve, including cracking down on abuses by private insurers in Medicare Advantage,” the lawmakers wrote. “The consequences of failure on your part would be grave. Billions of federal health care dollars – and millions of lives – are at stake.”

The lawmakers also pointed to what the lawmakers called Oz’s “financial conflicts of interest” if he takes over Medicare programs.

Citing financial disclosures from his 2022 Senate campaign, they pointed to Oz owning $550,000 in stock in UnitedHealth Group, which, as they say is “the largest private insurer in Medicare Advantage and largest employer of physicians in the nation.” They said he would gain financially if UnitedHealth Group had far more Medicare Advantage enrollees in a privatization scenario.

“Before your nomination comes to the Senate, Congress and the public deserve answers about your views on Medicare and your financial conflicts of interest,” the lawmakers wrote.

Warren has previously expressed her reservations about Oz running CMS. After Trump announced his pick of Oz, Warren offered a critical assessment on X.

“Running Medicare and Medicaid for over 100 million Americans isn't like hosting a daytime talk show,” Warren wrote. “Dr. Oz is another rich guy who doesn't care if your health care costs go up or an insurance company denies you coverage.”

Oz has previously received words of support from U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. A physician, Cassidy will serve as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee next year, and he noted that CMS hasn’t had a doctor running the agency in more than a decade.

“This is a great opportunity to help patients and implement conservative health reforms,” Cassidy wrote on X.

Oz has also drawn criticism over his touting weight-loss cures while hosting his long-running talk show.

Republicans will control the Senate in 2025, but it will be a fairly slim majority as the GOP will hold 53 seats, meaning nearly all Republicans would have to stand united behind Oz and Trump’s other nominees. However, GOP lawmakers have routinely said they plan to give deference to Trump and his picks to lead federal agencies.

• Read more: Why public health leaders have concerns with Dave Weldon, Trump’s CDC nominee