The Senate confirmed Mehmet Oz as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in a 53–45 party-line vote Thursday. Oz, a former heart surgeon and television personality, will now oversee health programs covering roughly 160 million Americans.
Oz assumes leadership during widespread staff reductions across federal health agencies, though CMS avoided the most severe DOGE-mandated cuts. Roughly 300 CMS jobs have been eliminated, including positions in minority health and community engagement.
At his confirmation hearing, Oz supported Medicaid work requirements and said he might consider eligibility changes for higher-income beneficiaries. He also endorsed Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act and pledged to address “upcoding” by insurers in Medicare Advantage.
Oz promised to raise morale at CMS, stating he’d “be speaking to the staff, raising morale, getting people excited.” Though he lacks prior experience managing a federal agency, he will serve under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr..
His appointment could allow for policy shifts more aligned with GOP healthcare priorities.
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