Former U.S. Senate candidate and Perelman School of Medicine M.D. and 1986 Wharton MBA graduate Mehmet Oz at his election night watch party on Nov. 8, 2022.
Credit: Abhiram JuvvadiThe United States Senate confirmed Penn graduate Mehmet Oz to serve as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday.
The April 3 announcement comes after Oz — who received an MD from the Perelman School of Medicine and an MBA from Wharton in 1986 — was tapped by President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump in November to lead the organization. Oz was approved by a 53-45 vote along party lines, with two senators abstaining.
Under the Department of Health and Human Services, CMS administers the federal Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance programs. As administrator of the CMS, Oz will be responsible for managing a $1.5 trillion agency that provides health coverage to over 160 million people across the nation.
Oz embraced the “Make America Healthy Again” mantra first championed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his confirmation hearing.
“All great societies, all great societies, protect their most vulnerable, and I would argue we are a great people”, Oz said. “With that in mind, I commit to doing whatever I can, working tirelessly to ensure that CMS provides Americans with access to superb care, especially Americans who are most vulnerable, our young, our disabled, and our elderly.”
Oz comes into office amid significant developments at the agency.
CMS is expected to downsize its staff by around 300 employees, according to a fact sheet released by HHS. So far, it has been spared from sweeping cuts announced to other agencies within HHS, which is projected to shrink its workforce by 20,000.
Congress has been debating significant cuts to Medicaid along with the introduction of new work requirements. In his hearing, Oz declined to say whether he supports the cuts, although he voiced support for work requirements.
"It doesn’t have to be going to a job," Oz said. "It could be getting an education. It should be showing that you want to contribute to society.”
Oz has made a name for himself as a television personality. After graduating from Penn, Oz became a cardiothoracic surgeon and professor at Columbia University. From 2009 to 2022, he hosted "The Dr. Oz Show," a syndicated talk show in which he made unsubstantiated medical claims.
In 2022, Oz was the Republican nominee for one of Pennsylvania's Senate seats, losing to then-Lt. Gov. John Fetterman. During his campaign, Oz allied himself with Trump and appeared at multiple MAGA rallies.
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