Former television host Dr. Mehmet Oz has a new job title: Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
During a rollcall vote on Thursday afternoon, the Senate voted 53-45 along party lines to support President Donald Trump's choice to lead the agency. Dr. Oz will oversee programs that provide health coverage to more than 160 million people through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplaces.
The former heart surgeon and television personality faced tough questioning in March during the Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing. He was asked about potential cuts to Medicaid, the maternal health crisis, rural health, fraud, artificial intelligence, and preauthorization. Democratic Senators on the panel were opposed to his nomination, noting that Dr. Oz didn't indicate during the hearing that he would protect the Medicaid program from looming cuts.
Dr. Oz will take over CMS during a tumultuous time as his new boss, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., makes massive cuts across federal health agencies and Congress looks to slash health care spending that may lead to drastic cuts in Medicaid. The reorganization at HHS began this week and includes layoffs of 10,000 employees, including hundreds at CMS.