Dr. Oz confirmed by Senate to lead CMS in a 53-45 vote
Television personality and celebrity physician Mehmet Oz, MD, is officially the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), after the Senate confirmed his nomination in a 53-45 vote.
Better known as “Dr. Oz,” the Emmy-award-winning cardiothoracic surgeon rose to fame in 1996 when he and a team of doctors at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City successfully performed a heart transplant on Frank Torre, brother of Joe Torre, the then-manager of the New York Yankees.
Oz went on to make appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” as the official medical expert of the daytime talk program. Those segments would later spin off into “The Dr. Oz Show,” with Winfrey serving as the executive producer when it premiered in 2009.”
The health-based talk show would earn multiple Emmy awards, and remained on air until 2022, when Oz would take the leap into politics. He ran as a Republican for the U.S. Senate against Democrat John Fetterman but ultimately lost the race.
However, his conservative politics earned him an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who would later be re-elected and nominate Oz to the position of head of CMS.
The vote on Thursday was largely along party lines, with Democrats voting against and Republicans supporting his confirmation.
Democrats concerned about corruption
During his confirmation hearing, Democratic senators asked Oz about his long-standing support of Medicare Advantage, as well as his financial holdings in associated insurance companies. Oz promised to make certain divestments and hold Medicare Advantage plans responsible if they raise the price of care for Americans.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was especially concerned about Oz’s ties to the healthcare industry. In an open letter, she asked him to divest from his business interests and also agree to not take on a role as a lobbyist after his time at CMS.
She voted no on his confirmation.
Oz will begin his new role as the head of CMS immediately, replacing Chiquita W. Brooks-LaSure, who was appointed by President Biden
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.