Mehmet Oz, MD, is one step closer to leading the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), as his nomination advanced from committee scrutiny to a full Senate vote. However, his views on Medicaid and nursing home staffing continue to raise concerns among Democrats.
The Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 along party lines to forward Oz’s nomination. While Republicans praised his public health advocacy and vision for CMS, Democrats expressed deep reservations about his commitment to protecting Medicaid and enforcing the federal nursing home staffing mandate.
“When I asked him a yes or no question about whether he would protect Medicaid, he dodged and weaved and refused to answer,” said Ranking Member Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). “Dr. Oz also ducked on my other questions. When pressed on whether nurses belong in nursing homes, he replied that it was a ‘complicated question.’ Quite frankly, I find that answer offensive. It isn’t complicated for the rest of us whether nursing homes ought to have adequate staff to take your mom to the bathroom or give your grandpa his meals.”
The staffing mandate, a key initiative of the Biden administration, aims to improve resident care by ensuring adequate staffing levels in nursing homes. However, Oz’s ambiguous stance on its enforcement has fueled concerns about his commitment to resident safety.
Adding to the controversy, reports indicate Oz’s “sympathetic” view toward limiting Medicaid to its original intended population, potentially cutting Affordable Care Act expansion efforts. This stance has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats who fear it will leave vulnerable populations without access to essential healthcare.
“I’m voting no because of what I see as a concerted effort by the Trump administration and some congressional Republicans to use Medicaid as an ATM to pay for tax breaks for the biggest, most successful corporations and wealthy individuals,” Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) stated.
In the midst of these debates, the financial scale of CMS is significant. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “Medicaid spending reached $800 billion in 2022, representing 17% of total national health expenditures.” The CMS overall budget is $1.5 trillion annually, and the potential impact of Oz’s decisions on this vast sum is a focal point of the senate discussions.
Despite the controversy, Oz has shown a willingness to address issues like Medicare Advantage overpayments.
“If confirmed, this will be one of the topics that is relatively enjoyable to go after, because I think we have bipartisan support,” Oz said regarding addressing MA upcoding.
As Oz’s nomination heads to the full Senate, the nursing home industry and healthcare advocates are closely watching to see how his leadership will shape the future of CMS and the care of vulnerable populations.