Trump appoints the first Muslim to run the Medicare program news
US President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Oz, a surgeon and famous television personality, to take over the management of the “Medicare” and “Medicaid” service centers, which are responsible for managing health insurance programs that serve more than 150 million Americans, with annual spending exceeding $2.6 trillion. .
The selection of Oz, a heart surgeon of Turkish origin who is famous for his TV show “Dr. Oz,” is a continuation of Trump’s pattern of nominating prominent media figures to lead federal agencies.
Oz ran for the Senate in 2022, with Trump’s support, but lost to Democrat John Fetterman in Pennsylvania. This nomination appears to bring Dr. Oz back into the political arena, even though he does not have the experience necessary to run a government bureaucracy of this size.
Trump said in a press release that Dr. Oz “will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Trump’s nominee for the Department of Health) to confront the disease industrial complex and address the chronic diseases that burden Americans.” He also noted that Oz, who won nine Emmy Awards, “has inspired millions of Americans to improve their healthy lifestyles.”
Oz previously proposed a plan calling for all Americans not covered by Medicaid to be included in the Medicare Advantage system, which are programs run by private insurance companies. He called for financing this expansion through an “affordable 20% payroll tax,” a proposal that sparked widespread controversy.
A track record of controversy
Oz has sparked repeated criticism because of his medical and political positions, as he promoted the drugs “hydroxychloroquine” and “chloroquine” during the Corona pandemic as a treatment for Covid-19, despite the lack of scientific evidence of their effectiveness. He also criticized President Joe Biden’s administration’s policies, including wearing masks and quarantine, saying they “ignored science and took away individual freedoms.”
He also faced criticism from Congress for selling weight loss products, as he sold “miracle pills” for weight loss without scientific evidence of their effectiveness.
The announcement of Oz’s nomination to run the Medicare and Medicaid health programs sparked mixed reactions among various circles in the United States.
Shares of health insurance companies such as United Health and Humana witnessed a rise of up to 2% after the announcement, as investors saw the nomination as an opportunity to stimulate the private health sector.
Many experts expressed concerns about Oz’s lack of experience running an agency of this size, and pointed to his controversial history of promoting scientifically unproven treatments, raising questions about his fitness for the position.
Democrats considered this nomination part of Trump’s policy aimed at undermining science-based health policies, and described it as a step that reflects a disregard for scientific principles. On the other hand, Republicans praised the move and viewed it as an opportunity to present a new and innovative vision for improving health programs.
Expected challenges
1- “Medicaid”
Trump, through his future administration, intends to reduce federal support for the Medicaid program by 2025, a move that is expected to spark widespread debate about the future of the program and its impact on the most vulnerable groups.
2- Medicare reforms
Oz seeks to simplify the Medicare system, but he will face stiff opposition, especially from the Democratic Party, given the political and regulatory complexities associated with the reforms.
3- Restoring confidence
Oz will have to work to gain the trust of the public and lawmakers, a difficult task given his controversial record and media history.
Dr. Oz’s nomination to run the Medicare and Medicaid programs represents a new test of Trump’s trend of appointing media figures to sensitive government positions. While Trump insists that Oz will be an “innovative leader,” critics believe that this decision may further complicate public health issues in America.
