Trump picks celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz to tackle America’s healthcare crisis

President-elect Donald Trump announced on November 19 the selection of Dr. Mehmet Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon and former daytime television host, to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The CMS, a critical agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), oversees Medicare, the federal Medicaid program, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the federal health insurance marketplace, Caliber.Az reports via US media.

Trump also named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Both nominations require Senate confirmation.

"America is facing a health care crisis, and there may be no physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to make America healthy again," Trump said in a statement. "He is an eminent physician, heart surgeon, inventor, and world-class communicator, who has been at the forefront of healthy living for decades."

The president-elect added, "He will also cut waste and fraud within our Country's most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation's Healthcare spend, and a quarter of our entire National Budget."

Oz is expected to work closely with Kennedy to address systemic health issues. "Together, they will take on the illness industrial complex and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake," Trump said.

Dr. Oz gained notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic for controversial statements and promotions. In one instance, he suggested reopening schools might be "worth the trade-off" if it led to an increased mortality rate of 2-3%, representing thousands of additional deaths. He later apologized, stating he misspoke.

Oz also promoted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 in 2020, a stance that drew support from then-President Trump but faced criticism from medical experts. Subsequent studies suggested the drug was ineffective against the virus.

In 2022, Columbia University, where Oz had held multiple positions, removed him from its website and severed ties following his foray into politics.

Oz’s nomination follows his unsuccessful 2022 Senate bid in Pennsylvania, where he lost to Democratic candidate John Fetterman despite Trump’s endorsement.

When asked about the nomination, Fetterman expressed a willingness to consider Oz. "He's going to have a hearing, and then we're going to find out what he's about," Fetterman told CBS News. "I'm not going to have a knee-jerk reaction... If he meets my criteria, then I'll vote for him."

Years before his Senate campaign, Oz faced scrutiny for promoting unproven "miracle" weight-loss supplements on his television show. During a 2014 Senate committee hearing, lawmakers accused him of misleading consumers regarding products like green coffee bean extract.

Oz rose to prominence through appearances on Oprah Winfrey’s show, eventually hosting his own daytime program from 2009 to 2022. The show ended as he launched his Senate run.

CMS plays a vital role in overseeing healthcare for over 100 million Americans through programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. Trump emphasized that Oz's leadership would prioritize reducing fraud and inefficiencies within the agency, which constitutes a significant portion of the federal budget.

By Tamilla Hasanova