Trump nominee Dr. Oz sets Medicare agenda with price transparency, detecting fraud

Price transparency and more information for consumers will be part of the start to Make America Healthy Again, according to the new leader of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA, announced his agenda and vision for the agency during his first full week as the 17^th administrator of the single largest health insurer in the nation. CMS has a $1.7 trillion budget for health care for more than 160 million Americans Oz and his boss, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., issued statements to mark the start of his tenure. Both were tapped by President Donald J. Trump for their posts, and were confirmed by the Senate, to lead the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative.

“I want to thank President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for their confidence in my ability to lead CMS in achieving their vision to Make America Healthy Again,” Oz said in his statement. “Great societies protect their most vulnerable. As stewards of the health of so many Americans — especially disadvantaged youth, those with disabilities, and our seniors, the CMS team is dedicated to delivering superior health outcomes across each program we administer. America is too great for small dreams, and I’m ready to get work on the president’s agenda.”

Kennedy welcomed Oz “as a trusted voice in health and wellness, both through his clinical expertise and his years of educating the public on television.”

“His leadership and ability to communicate effectively will be invaluable as he takes the helm at CMS,” Kennedy said. “Together, we are committed to Make America Healthy Again by combating fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid, and ensuring that these programs truly serve the American people.”

The agenda

MAHA will begin with four M’s: modernizing Medicare, Medicaid, and the Marketplaces, the online portals people use to buy health insurance as created by the Affordable Care Act.

Oz went online with a video introduction about his mission.

“Great societies protect their most vulnerable, and we are a great people,” he said. Oz pledged that there will be access to excellent care for the people who need it most — disadvantaged youth, people with disabilities, and seniors.

“I believe we have a generational opportunity to give people power over their health and to save our health care system from costs that are rising faster than our economy,” he said. “America is too great for small dreams and CMS will work hard to bring to life the best ideas in health care.”

Oz thanked Trump and Kennedy for their trust in his leadership.

The to-do list

• Oz spoke about his top priorities, and the CMS announcement included a to-do list. Crushing waste, fraud and abuse will be one of the first priorities, Oz said, with more news on that coming soon.
• CMS will implement the president’s Executive Order on Transparency to give people information that will empower them to seek personalized solutions to better manage their health while navigating a complex health system.
• CMS will work to equip “health care providers with better information about the patients they serve and holding them accountable for health outcomes, rather than unnecessary paperwork that distracts them from their mission. For example, CMS will work to streamline access to life saving treatments.”
• The goal will be to shift the paradigm for American health care from a system that focuses on sick care to one that fosters prevention, wellness, and chronic disease management. CMS can do this through its programs that can focus on improving holistic health outcomes.

Find him online

Oz, no stranger to online resources as a former television host, announced his official handles for social media. Follow him on:

• X, formerly Twitter: @DrOzCMS
• Instagram: @DrOzCMS
• Facebook: CMS Administrator Dr. Oz