Editor's note: See below for a timestamped breakdown of the Senate Finance Committee's questions for Mehmet Oz, M.D., during a March 14 hearing. For a summary of the hearing's takeaways, click here.
Updated 1:27 p.m. ET
The hearing wrapped up as Wyden asked another question about what the biggest insurance marketing abuses in the private sector are today.
“Medicare Advantage sales,” Oz answered concisely. “There’s brokers that get involved in churning policies so they get you to switch from policy to policy. We should potentially consider whether you need to re-elect Medicare Advantage every year and potentially offer multi-year programs for seniors…”
Crapo then adjourned the meeting. He said he would vote in favor of Oz.
Stay tuned for more coverage over Dr. Oz's confirmation hearing.
Updated 1:24 p.m. ET
After musing on how “we should have a conversation” about drug pricing and generics, Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, highlighted Oz’s “compassionate” opening comments on the responsibility of the government to care for those in need. He then asked Oz to speak about CMS’ role in making novel therapies such as gene cell therapies affordable.
Oz used the prompt to again highlight the government’s role in incentivizing therapeutic advancements, and used sickle cell anemia as an example of high-cost treatments being able to reduce costs on the system, such as extensive hospital stays, despite the therapeutic’s high cost.
“We just have to get our minds around the idea of paying a million dollars to save someone’s life, and demonstrating that if it works then the drug companies should get paid, over a period of time, to make up for the fact that they made a massive investment to make that solution.”
Scott ended by highlighting the advancement of telemedicine during the pandemic, and asked Oz to continue pursuing continued research and adoption. Oz agreed.
Updated 1:17 p.m. ET
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said it was a stroke of good luck Oz lost his electoral race in Pennsylvania so he could assume this position as CMS Administrator.
“Because I think what you will be able to do in your new capacity will outstrip anything you might be able to do as a legislator,” he stated.
Cornyn said it’s “crazy” Congress subsidizes the SNAP program with unhealthy foods, and that there are suggestions anti-obesity medications should be subsidized as well.
Oz replied that the relationship between patients and physicians should be reworked to make sure people are healthier.
“We use third parties as intermediaries, who often charge so much that you take away the benefit of the value-based program to begin with, but at its very core, physicians need support,” said Oz.
Updated 1:10 p.m. ET
Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, returned the conversation to MAHA’s focus on chronic disease, which he said would help reduce federal spending. He asked Oz what reforms around prevention and early chronic disease intervention he would back.
Oz said he believes it is the country’s “patriotic duty” to remain healthy and not be a liability on others and the federal budget due to preventable health issues, a position Young appreciated. Oz again suggested incentives for healthy behaviors, saying that “we don’t have to order people to eat healthy, we have to make it easier to be healthy, even exercising a few minutes a day.”
Young then quickly voiced his support for healthcare innovation to reduce costs—including faster Medicare coverage of FDA-approved products and CMS policies to permit AI innovation—as well as national security concerns around intellectual property theft. Oz promised he would support for each of these concerns.
Updated 1:06 p.m. ET
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, wanted to hear from Oz as to whether he would support drug reference pricing.
“We have go to get a fair price, and we’re paying six or seven times what they’re paying for the same thing in France or in Canada,” he said.
Oz then agreed with Welch that overpayments in Medicare Advantages should be a priority of his CMS.
“You’re a very nice person,” said Welch. “I don’t want you to be nice when it comes to dealing with this, alright? Put that nice guy stuff behind you.”
When asked about private equity’s role in healthcare, Oz said there needs to be a “mechanism to disrupt the incumbents.”
“The only way to go after the big guys is to have smaller people who are willing to put money into initiatives that could conflict with, or go after, their business models,” he explained. “Private equity is one of the ways you can do that. Yes, it can be misused. I absolutely agree with the point that it has been abused.”
Updated 12:58 p.m. ET
Sen Ralph Warnock, D-Georgia, acknowledged that his state has not expanded Medicaid and is the only one to have imposed a work requirement program. He said that Oz, as the potential head of CMS, would have input on the Republican-backed policy when reviewing waivers and asked for his thoughts on the requirements.
Oz said he is in favor of Medicaid work requirements, though appeared less supportive of the paperwork enrollees are required by Georgia to file each month described by Warnock as burdensome and onerous.
Warnock then outlined individual cases of constituents whose circumstances prevent them from meeting Georgia’s work requirements.
“These are the opportunities to make the system better,” Oz responded. “If we both agree that people should be trying to get off Medicaid, if they can, we should be able to create a system where we can track that.”
Warnock asked Oz, if confirmed, to work with him and keep those cases in mind when considering whether to renew Georgia’s waiver. Oz agreed.
Updated 12:53 p.m. ET
Dr. Oz is now getting asked about vaccines.
“Do you believe the measles vaccine is safe?” asked Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico. “Yes.”
He also said it’s the most effective way to protect against infection, but that CMS “really should not be opining its opinion or sharing its own thoughts on vaccines,” Oz added.
Lujan then implored RFK Jr. to respond to letters from the committee.
On the topic of rural health, he said some health systems could partner with larger institutions in other states. This could help provide telemedicine services to more people.
“We have to revisit how we deliver rural care in America,” he said.
Updated 12:46 p.m. ET
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, asked Oz to share why he became a physician.
Oz responded to the character question by outlining the satisfaction he found from care delivery and helping patients.
Marshal then encouraged Oz to hire more nurses at CMS, but then asked Oz to speak toward the chronic disease pillar of RFK Jr.’s Make America Healthy Agenda (MAHA). Oz said the answer would be models that “make it easy” to pursue the right care or lifestyle.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunity for us to do this. We should be innovative and explore ideas, and I think there is an ecosystem we can build together to engender that kind of enthusiasm from people on the outside of medicine who want to make it better. We have got to challenge the incumbents in the system to have new ideas bubble to the top so we can pick the winners.”
Marshall turned to maternal maternity, and highlighted an analysis that tied post-partum deaths to suicide and fentanyl. He then wrapped by asking for Oz’ thoughts on how prices and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) could encourage healthcare consumerism.
Oz said there is plenty to investigate on HSAs, such as allowing the accounts to be inherited by younger family members.
Updated 12:39 p.m. ET
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minnesota, chose to address the role of AI in prior authorization decisions.
“AI can be used for good or for evil, and to large extent, largely stands to depend on who’s using it for what purpose,” said Oz. “I think AI could play a vital role in accelerating pre-authorization.”
But does Oz agree humans should have the final decision on insurance claims decisions? Yes, he said. Additionally, CMS should use AI to help on this issue in real-time.
Updated 12:38 p.m. ET
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, referenced “frustration” with CMS, the CMS Innovation Center (CMMI) and medical coding, the latter of which she noted is heavily influenced by the American Medical Association.
Oz responded that he wants to enable the healthcare industry by better messaging “where we need help, and where there are opportunities for us to do better. By engaging the private sector wisely, I think we can challenge some of the incumbents.”
He added that CMMI “has a history of failed projects” but could be improved with stronger leadership.
Blackburn then turned to the low-wage index for hospitals, which she said was boosted by the first Trump administration but then allowed to expire by the Biden administration.
“It was like rural hospitals just had the rug pulled out from them,” she said noting hospital rural closures in her state.
Oz committed to address rural healthcare broadly, not just in regard to rural hospitals.
Blackburned then raised Medicaid fraud, which she said hampers the government’s ability to get care to those to need it, and asked Oz to work toward expelling undocumented individuals who are receiving benefits through Medicaid from its rolls.
Oz said he work toward “ensuring that the determination of Medicaid eligibility is done accurately and honestly.”
Updated 12:29 p.m. ET
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is up and begins a monologue about Medicare Advantage upcoding.
She cited reporting from the Wall Street Journal identifying 66,000 Medicare Advantage patients diagnosed with diabetic cataracts who had already gotten cataract surgery. Is that fraud, she asked?
“The answer is yes,” he replied. “It’s anatomically impossible.” He also agreed an HHS OIG report that found UnitedHealth Group used home visits to add about $2.3 billion worth of diagnoses that led to no treatment sounds like fraud as well.
“If you had the choice, would you rather cut waste, fraud and abuse by a Fortune 500 health insurance company in Medicare Advantage or cut funding for Medicaid?” she posed.
“My goal is to improve the healthcare of the American people, and as you create the argument, the former sounds like a more rational way to do that,” said Oz.
Warren did not ask about potential conflicts of interest Oz’s confirmation presents.
Updated 12:24 p.m. ET
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, asked Oz for a breakdown of his first 90 days.
Oz responded by saying again that he’s interested in addressing culture and hearing feedback from CMS workers lower down the organizational chart, as well as the agency’s contractors.
Tillis then broached the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reshape government agencies, and urged Oz to assert his position as CMS’ figure of authority if confirmed as administrator. Oz agreed.
Tillis—who shared that he once had a ferret named Garrett, referencing Whitehouse’s questioning—asked if Oz would be willing to host a meeting with committee members to work out their concerns. Oz agreed, particularly on the subject of enterprise transformation and the need to shift the status quo.
Tillis built on the point by referencing a children’s book, “Who Moved My Cheese,” and urging Oz to disregard the “little people” who would hold up needed transformation and indirectly denounced Democrats’ pushback on Medicaid reform.
Updated 12:18 p.m. ET
Another Medicaid question from a Democratic lawmaker.
Sen. Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, said she is concerned her colleagues say people in Medicaid are milking the system. She asked Oz if knew how many Medicaid fraud units exist in states.
He did not. Cortez Masto responded that there are 53 units, recovering $1.4 billion in fraud in 2024. In many cases, she said, there is provider fraud. Medicaid cuts will close nursing homes, hospitals and clinics in rural America, causing her constituents to drive long distances to find the care, she said.
She then asked Oz on whether ACA expanded tax credits should be extended.
“Senator, if confirmed, I need to learn more about the specifics of how much additional resources are required and for what parts of the system,” he said. “But directionally, I like the idea of having transition programs to get folks who are able to work but are on Medicaid…It’s wise for us as a nation, as we take care of them to get them back on their feet and then transition them to programs where they can actually afford the insurance.”
Cortez Masto replied most Medicaid beneficiaries are already working.
Updated 12:11 p.m. ET
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, said his party doesn’t want to reduce coverage with Medicaid reform but outlined his belief that the ACA has allowed states to “game” the system for increased federal funds. He asked Oz to give his top-level thoughts on the ACA, Medicaid expansion and eligibility requirements for Medicaid that permit healthier adults coverage under the program.
Oz noted that the reduced rates under Medicaid incentivize provider to adjust their business to steer away the Medicaid population. Expanding the number of people covered under Medicaid only worsens the issue, he said again advocating for greater efficiency in the program.
On the other hand, Oz applauded the handling of Medicare Part D and cited it as an example of how government health coverage can be successful.
“I am very confident, and I do believe we have a generational opportunity, to seismically shift the way we deliver healthcare services so we don’t have the highest mortality rate for women delivering babies amongst the top 50 countries in the world, that we’re not having people falling through the cracks wrongly, immorally, in our system. I think being wise about those maneuvers can allow all of us to proudly stand up and say ‘We are the great society, and like all great societies we take care of our most vulnerable.”
Updated 12:04 p.m. ET
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, clearly found Whitehouse’s remarks amusing, referring him as the “self-appointed chairman of the newly minted ferret caucus.”
“The ferret is an underappreciated animal,” Whitehouse responded.
Daines then asked Oz about the Hyde Amendment, saying Biden expanded abortion access and travel for abortion using taxpayer dollars, a violation of the amendment.
“The answer is very simple,” he answered. “Yes, the Hyde Amendment has been around for a long time and CMS should obey the rule and budget accordingly.”
He then asked his opinions on Medicare coverage for new technologies innovation, and make sure there are not limitations on industry.
“To your point, we should make it easier for industry to create life-saving tools by aligning when the FDA approves a product with when CMS begins to fund it for beneficiaries,” said Oz.
Oz then said Congress has the responsibility to extend telehealth access widely to improve care in rural areas.
Updated 11:58 a.m. ET
A spirited Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, pointed to the 20% to 28% underpayment for hospitals in his home state compared to those in bordering states like Massachusetts.
He raised concerns that this creates a “massive and harmful distortion” for the hospitals, which he attributed to fee for service reimbursement. He asked that Oz be aware of the pay disparity between geographically nearby hospitals, and prevent the issue from repeating as states implement new models like the All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) model.
“I’m going to be on you like a ferret to get this fixed” Whitehouse said. “… For years, CMS has sat idly by, looked at that payment differential and said ‘Oh what a pity. Too bad, we’re not going to do anything about it. … [CMS administrators] just don’t give a red-hot damn about this incredible unfairness that is dislocating and warping our healthcare system.”
Oz acknowledged that the issue “does seem to require a statutory solution,” but said the AHEAD program seemed a promising approach and would be mindful of Whitehouse’s concerns if confirmed.
Updated 11:53 a.m. ET
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, quickly asks Oz if he would follow a hypothetical directive from Trump to break the law.
“The President would never do that,” said Oz.
"That’s absurd, and it’s a disappointing answer,” she replied.
Hassan then hammered Oz on the Republican’s budget resolution framework to cut Medicaid and said the “draconian” bill would cause individuals to lose health insurance. She also questioned why the Trump administration closed a federal office in the state, where seniors enroll in Medicare in-person.
She then asked Oz about his willingness to support products on his television show.
“Can you confirm that this was fraudulently marketed and green coffee extract is not a miracle weight loss drug?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied, before saying it is still being researched and he was not paid to promote supplements but the television show was distributed by Sony Corporation.
Updated 11:49 a.m. ET
Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D., R-Louisiana, kicked off his time by asking for more information on Oz’s prior authorization stance.
Prior authorization “is a pox on the system,” Oz told him. He said there are about 15,000 procedures that could be subject to prior authorization, about 5,500 of which different insurance companies impose the requirement for but with different requirements from payer to payer.
“I would argue we can limit the number of pre-authorized procedures to 1,000” and be more clear on the criteria, he said. Making those requirements more concrete would allow prior authorization “to happen rapidly,” he said.
Cassidy brought up prior authorization requirements during step therapy as a particular pain point. Oz agreed again, noting that it’s a point of frustration for providers as well as patients.
“This is a place where it’s a matter of competency. It’s not a Republican-Democrat issue. If we can do the job that’s been assigned to CMS in a competent fashion and revisit some of the assumptions that we’ve taken for granted for decades, and use technology to help us, … it’ll take a lot of the angst out of the system for the American people,” Oz said.
Cassidy then broached concerns he’s heard that Medicare Advantage plans that only cover care if the service is explicitly specified for coverage, as opposed to the inverse of only denying services if specifically instructed to. Oz said he hadn’t heard of the practice, but would look into it in his potential role.
The physician lawmaker, a Medicare Advantage supporter, finished by highlighting the high rates being secured by Medicare Advantage plans compared to traditional Medicare, and asked if Oz would have any strategies to bringing down those costs to the government. Oz acknowledged the trend, and said there are ways to drive efficiencies and ensure care is being paid for appropriately, such as by addressing upcoding.
Updated 11:41 a.m. ET
PBM reform is raised again, this time from Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma.
He said 450 independent pharmacies closed last year and went into a detailed conversation with Oz about the complexities of the PBM industry.
Oz said Trump has been clear he wants to reduce the cost of drugs and improve transparency.
“We can do better and PBMs are one way of affecting that,” said Oz.
A report from the anti-monopoly think tank American Economic Liberties Project has said 326 pharmacies have closed since Congress reversed course on a spending bill that would’ve addressed PBM reform.
Lankford also asked Oz to review the Biden-era nursing home rule.
“I have spoken with community groups quite a bit in preparation for this meeting,” said Oz. “If confirmed, I pledge to come back to you with my thoughts. Senator Wyden brought up the exact same issue from the other perspective.”
Oz added: “It’ll be one of the earlier things I focus on.”
Updated: 11:37 a.m. ET
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, opened by referencing a prior quote from Oz that “it should be mandatory” that all Americans have coverage. She then picked up the Medicaid questioning by asking if Oz supported Medicaid expansion.
Oz said he did, for the states that chose to do so. Cantwell pushed back, questioning whether the non-expansion states “had a plan” for their uninsured populations and increased healthcare costs they generate.
She then turned toward whether Oz supported “bundling up” the working population at 150% above the Medicaid rate as an alternative to the ACA exchanges. Oz said he hasn’t studied those approaches in detail, but likes the idea of alternatives for coverage.
Cantwell, unhappy with the response, than clarified: “I’m asking you if you believe in a virtual bundle delivered by the private sector, getting access to that, as a way to reduce the exorbitant payments on the Silver plans.”
“It’s a detailed question that I do have to research a bit, and if confirmed I look forward to following up with you on that,” he responded.
Cantwell then turned to potential impending ACA premium credit cuts, and asked Oz if the bundling strategy would be the administration’s alternative to the status quo following spending cuts. Oz again punted the question, asking for time to research.
“If you don’t like some aspects of the ACA, you should say which ones you don’t want,” she said.
Updated: 11:29 a.m. ET
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, bemoaned the country’s current life expectancy statistics, noting in other countries there is universal healthcare available.
“Every year that goes by, people at home in Colorado, as I told you in our office, feel there’s more scarcity, more scarcity, more scarcity,” he said. Bennet asked if there would be Medicaid cuts under Trump.
Oz said the country needs to invest in the care of young people because 40% of young people in America are on Medicaid. But, he added, there shouldn’t just be “money thrown at them.”
“If we pursue Medicaid cuts that the administration is proposing, and people have to get care for their kids, they will,” said Bennet. “And they will get that care, as I think you believe, often in a hospital setting, which will be the most expensive place they could go to get the care.”
Updated: 11:23 a.m. ET
Sen. Grassley, R-Iowa, used his time to highlight several issues he said he expects Oz to focus on should he be nominated.
These included pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform, support for rural hospitals and healthcare, reduced red tape for programs supporting children with complex medical needs, access to transitional health plans, waste and fraud within healthcare programs, and cooperating with Congressional oversight of the agency.
Oz said he supported all of those concerns, with a joking “maybe” to the oversight request that was well received by the lawmaker. He also said he wanted to speak with those at CMS several rungs down the ladder to uncover any lower-level concerns, including around agency culture.
Updated: 11:17 a.m. ET
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, immediately asked Oz if he’s willing to protect Medicaid from cuts.
He dodged the question and said he wanted to support practitioners. The House recently passed a budget resolution that would cut Medicaid by up to $880 billion over 10 years if it advances through the reconciliation process.
Wyden invited Oz to go to rural counties in his district. Oz agreed.
Then, Wyden asked Oz for his opinions on the DOGE to protect healthcare data privacy for Americans. DOGE has accessed critical systems at the CMS and other federal agencies, sparking concerns from privacy experts.
“I intend to spend my first precious weeks in the agency, if confirmed, speaking to the staff, raising morale, getting people excited and addressing what’s going on with DOGE,” said Oz. “The [CMS] website says that only people who have gone through a training program are allowed to see the records and they can only read the records.”
Updated: 11:10 a.m. ET
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-ID, opened questions by reiterating the praise for Oz from his opening comments, and asking the nominee how he plans to encourage adoption of wellness and nutrition in his role.
Oz responded that individuals who struggle with healthy lifestyles lack the support to integrate those behaviors in their life. He proposed introducing “a tool” that would give individuals real-time information and feedback from experts on their lifestyle decisions.
Crapo responded well to the suggestion, then asked Oz how he may work to reform payment programs to be more efficient. Oz pointed to prior authorization, which he said could now be automated to prevent funds from being absorbed by “middlemen.” Doing so would cut out “several percent” of administrative costs, reduce patient frustration and improve outcomes, he said.
Updated: 11:06 a.m. ET
After providing an introduction, Crapo asked Oz if there are any conflicts of interest if he is confirmed. He responded, “No.” He also promised to respond to any question from the committee in writing.
Oz started off his prepared remarks saying “all great societies protect their most vulnerable” and he has a passion to ensure all people have access to “superb” care. He dove into his background from his time as a student to the beginning of his medical career. Oz cited his work founding HealthCorps, a nonprofit he started, and his Emmy award-winning TV show, as experiences that prepared him for this role.
“I believe that a physician has a responsibility to tell patients what they need to know, even if the message is uncomfortable,” he said.
His concerns: Healthcare expenditures are rapidly growing, the Medicare Trust Fund will be insolvent within a decade, Medicaid is highly costly to state budgets and health outcomes are worsening as chronic disease increases.
“As a physician, I can attest that the most expensive care we give is bad care,” Oz said, before noting Trump wants to “cherish” Medicare and Medicaid.
Now, his three big ideas: Give beneficiaries more tools and transparency, incentivize doctors to optimize care with real-time information in their workflow using AI and be “aggressive” in modernizing tools to root out waste, fraud and abuse.
Updated: 10:55 a.m. ET
The opening statement from Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, homed in on reports that Oz “dodged” tax payments into social security and Medicare.
Wyden then went on to question Oz’s “lucrative career” promoting privatized Medicare Advantage plans, and warned that Oz’s previous support of expanding Medicare Advantage could leave traditional Medicare “to wither on the vine.”
The lawmaker then pointed to Oz’s prior promotion of wellness products and supplements, likening these to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advocacy of vaccine skepticism and referencing his comments on the ongoing measles outbreak.
Wyden pointed to the administration’s broader push to trim the federal footprint and suggested that he would not stand in their way, but closed his statement by again highlighting Oz's role at the head of government health coverage.
“The American people have a variety of reasons to believe Dr. Oz will be fully on board with the Trump and Republican effort to cut Medicaid and to coddle for-profit insurance companies,” Wyden said. “Today’s hearing is an opportunity for Dr. Oz to show the committee otherwise.”
Updated: 10:50 a.m. ET
Sen. Mike Crapo, R-ID, kicked off the hearing with his opening statement. He gave a glowing review of Dr. Oz’s credentials because of his physician background.
He said he looks forward to working with Oz on pharmacy benefit manager reform and the clinician payment system, as well as tackling the symptoms of chronic disease.
Mehmet Oz, M.D., better known as Dr. Oz from his long-running daytime television show, will face the Senate Finance Committee today to seek confirmation as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator.
It was a surprise appointment from President Donald Trump, even as the new administration announced unorthodox selections across the federal government. Oz enjoyed success in healthcare as a cardiothoracic surgeon and unsuccessfully ran for office in Pennsylvania, but would now be tasked with managing a massive budget and maintaining federal programs.
Although the hearing will be less high-profile than those for Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Oz is expected to face tough questions over past comments made about the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and potential conflicts of interest.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, wrote a letter (PDF) to Oz ahead of the hearing, urging him to divest financial interests in health companies and agree to not lobby the CMS or work in related industries for at least four years after leaving office. She said Oz has pushed his fans to enroll in MA plans and often promotes products on his social media accounts.
Warren pressed Oz to cut all financial ties with iHerb, an e-commerce site selling health supplements, and a circulatory valve repair device, which he has received royalties from in the past. Oz has stated he will no longer receive royalties, but he may still be able to work on projects that benefit the company, she said.
Additionally, she called on Oz to remove all interests from health companies Eko Health, SandboxAQ and Housey Pharma, which could look for favorable policies in front of the CMS.
“You also founded and still hold up to $5 million of stock in ShareCare, a digital health company that operates an ‘exclusive in-home care supplemental benefit program’ used by 1.5 million Medicare Advantage enrollees,” continued Warren. “Your relationships with these and other entities will raise serious doubts about your impartiality if you participate in coverage decisions and other matters that impact them.”
Oz has assets valued anywhere from $95 million to $334 million and owns stock in UnitedHealth Group, HCA Healthcare, tech companies and drugmakers.
A memo from Democratic staff members on the Finance Committee found Oz may have underpaid Social Security and Medicare taxes in 2022 and 2023, pointing to another line of questioning that could turn into a focal point of the hearing, reported Bloomberg. Oz reportedly responded to those accusations saying he did not need to be taxed on his limited liability company because of a “limited partner exception” provision.
He could also hear questions over his allegiance to the Make America Healthy Again movement. Democratic lawmakers have been more open to RFK Jr.’s pledge to combat the food industry but are critical of the new administration’s approach toward vaccines.
They could ask Oz his thoughts on the mass firing of probationary workers, whether he will dutifully carry out reductions in force at the CMS in upcoming days and the overall influence of the Department of Government Efficiency in health agencies. The topic of Medicaid cuts, the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies and past statements supporting Medicare Advantage for All are likely to arise as well.
Republicans may question him on his beliefs toward the pro-life movement and any number of Biden-era reversals they support, including overturning a rule on nursing homes and reversing health equity policies.