Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS

CMS/Medicare

WASHINGTON—As Dr. Mehmet Oz completes his first week as the 17th Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), he shared his agenda and vision for the agency in a press release. A cardiothoracic surgeon and former host “The Dr. Oz Show,” he now leads the largest agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with a $1.7 trillion budget, tasked with delivering health outcomes for more than 160 million people.

“I want to thank President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for their confidence in my ability to lead CMS in achieving their vision to Make America Healthy Again,” said Oz. “Great societies protect their most vulnerable. As stewards of the health of so many Americans—especially disadvantaged youth, those with disabilities and our seniors, the CMS team is dedicated to delivering superior health outcomes across each program we administer. America is too great for small dreams, and I’m ready to get work on the President’s agenda.”

“I am proud to welcome Dr. Oz as the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Dr. Oz has proven himself as a trusted voice in health and wellness, both through his clinical expertise and his years of educating the public on television. His leadership and ability to communicate effectively will be invaluable as he takes the helm at CMS. Together, we are committed to Make America Healthy Again by combating fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid, and ensuring that these programs truly serve the American people.”

CMS said under his leadership, it will work to modernize Medicare, the Marketplaces and Medicaid. This includes:

  • Empowering the American people with personalized solutions so they can better manage their health and navigate the complex health care system. As a first step, CMS will implement Trump’s Executive Order on Transparency to give Americans the information they need about costs.
  • Equipping health care providers with better information about the patients they serve and holding them accountable for health outcomes, rather than unnecessary paperwork that distracts them from their mission. For example, CMS will work to streamline access to life-saving treatments.
  • Identifying and eliminating fraud, waste and abuse to stop people who are stealing from vulnerable patients and taxpayers.
  • Shifting the paradigm for health care from a system that focuses on sick care to one that fosters prevention, wellness and chronic disease management. For example, CMS operates many programs that can be used to focus on improving holistic health outcomes. 

Oz received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and obtained a joint M.D.-M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania—a foundation he credits with providing him the skills to manage a large organization. A professor emeritus at Columbia University and former leader of the heart institute at New York Presbyterian Medical Center, Oz has advanced research to improve heart health, surgery and health policy. He has published hundreds of academic articles and New York Times best-selling books, which culminated in his TV show. A native of Ohio, he and his wife have four children and four grandchildren.

As CMS Administrator, Oz oversees programs—including Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Health Insurance Marketplace—that touch the lives of millions of American families. CMS works in partnership with the entire health ecosystem to improve health quality and outcomes for the patients it serves.

Oz’s official CMS social media accounts went live today, with his first post including a video introducing himself as the new CMS Administrator.

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