As Dr. Mehmet Oz completed his first week as the 17th Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), he is sharing his agenda and vision for the agency. A cardiothoracic surgeon and former host of an award-winning TV show, he now leads the largest agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with a $1.7 trillion budget, tasked with delivering health outcomes for more than 160 million people.
“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,” said Dr. Oz. “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.”
“I am proud to welcome Dr. Oz as the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Dr. Oz has proven himself 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. 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.”
We aim to mark our Make America Healthy Again efforts with curiosity, courage, competence, and compassion. Under his leadership, CMS will work to modernize Medicare, the Marketplaces and Medicaid, so Americans get the care that they want, need, and deserve. This includes:
- Empowering the American People with personalized solutions they can better manage their health and navigate the complex health care system. As a first step, CMS will implement the President’s Executive Order on Transparency to give Americans the information they need about costs.
- Equipping 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.
- Identifying and eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse to stop unscrupulous people who are stealing from vulnerable patients and taxpayers.
- Shifting the paradigm for health care from a system that focuses on sick care to one that fosters prevention, wellness, and chronic disease management. For example, CMS operates many programs that can be used to focused on improving holistic health outcomes.
With a diverse background in medicine, Dr. Oz is uniquely poised to lead CMS as it takes on President Trump’s charge to “Make America Healthy Again.” Dr. Oz received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and obtained a joint M.D.-M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania – a foundation he credits with providing him the skills to manage a large organization. A professor emeritus at Columbia University and former leader of the heart institute at New York Presbyterian Medical Center, Dr. Oz has long advanced research to improve heart health, surgery, and health policy. He has published hundreds of academic articles and New York Times best-selling books, which culminated in his award-winning TV show, all connecting millions of people to news and information for making more informed choices about their health. A native of Ohio, he and his wife have four children and four grandchildren.
As CMS Administrator, Dr. Oz oversees programs – including Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace® – that touch the lives of millions of American families. CMS works in partnership with the entire health ecosystem to improve health quality and outcomes for the patients it serves.
Dr. Oz’s official CMS social media accounts went live, with his first post including a video introducing himself as the new CMS Administrator.
- X: @DrOzCMS
- Instagram: @DrOzCMS
- Facebook: CMS Administrator Dr. Oz