Senate Finance Committee Advances Dr. Oz’s Nomination for CMS Administrator

On March 25, the Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 along party lines to advance the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz as CMS Administrator. During the confirmation hearing, Chair Mike Crapo (R-ID) and other Republicans expressed strong support for Dr. Oz, citing his prior experience as a physician and health advocate. Democrats however scrutinized the nomination. Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) criticized Dr. Oz’s failure to provide concrete answers to questions about whether he would protect federal health programs. Wyden also questioned Oz’s past promotion of Medicare Advantage plans (MA), remarking that given this history, putting him in charge of the agency “would be like letting the fox guard the hen house.”

His nomination now goes to the full Senate. If confirmed, Dr. Oz would oversee the agency responsible for administering over $1.5 trillion in annual federal health care spending and implementing a wide range of policy initiatives impacting the Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act marketplaces.