Trump selects Emmy-winning TV personality Dr. Oz to head CMS
Building upon last week’s news that president-elect Donald Trump will nominate vaccine skeptic and health contrarian Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) as Secretary of the Department of Health, it appears television personality Mehmet Oz, MD—better known as Dr. Oz—may be taking over the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate to the position of CMS administrator, Oz will have a leadership role in shaping Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as the direction of health plans subsidized by the Affordable Care Act and sold on the federal government’s online marketplace.
As with RFK, Trump announced the appointment of Oz on Truth Social, writing that Oz will be a “leader in incentivizing disease prevention.”
“America is facing a healthcare crisis, and there may be no physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again,” Trump wrote in the post. “Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic disease left in its wake.”
Rise to Fame
Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon who received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. However, his rise to fame came in 1996 when he and doctors at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City successfully performed a heart transplant on Frank Torre, brother of Joe Torre, the manager of the New York Yankees.
His public notoriety landed him a recurring role on Oprah Winfrey’s daytime talk show in 2004, serving as the show’s “health expert” on a variety of topics. He began hosting his own daytime talk show, "the Dr. Oz Show", in 2009. Oz would go on to win 9 Emmy awards.
His show remained on the air until 2022, the same year Oz ran for the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania as a Republican, ultimately losing the election to Democrat John Fettermann.
Oz’s connection to Trump was solidified during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the TV doctor expressed skepticism of COVID lockdowns and other policies. He also advocated for the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus, with reporters pointing out a potential conflict of interest due to his ownership of stock in companies that manufacture the drug.
If confirmed as CMS administrator, Oz will replace Chiquita W. Brooks-LaSure, who has been in the role since May 2021.
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.