By Jonathan J. Cooper
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Mehmet Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon turned talk show host and lifestyle guru, is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the massive federal healthcare bureaucracy that covers more than a third of Americans.
Here’s a look at a television doctor who became a politician and is now designated to lead an agency that touches nearly all Americans in some way.
Who is Dr. Oz?
Trained as a heart surgeon, Oz rose to prominence on Oprah Winfrey’s leading daytime television show before spinning off his own series, “The Dr. Oz Show,” in 2009.
The program aired for 13 seasons and made Oz a household name.
Oz stopped doing surgeries in 2018 but his physician license remains active in Pennsylvania through the end of this year, according to the state’s online database.
Oz is an author of New York Times bestsellers, an Emmy-winning TV show host, radio talk show host, presidential appointee, founder of a national nonprofit to educate teens about healthy habits, and self-styled ambassador for wellness.
He also guest hosted the “Jeopardy!” game show and helped save a dying man at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Oz was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of a heart surgeon who emigrated from Turkey.
He attended a private high school in Delaware and Harvard University as a college undergraduate, also playing football there, and served in the Turkish army to maintain his dual citizenship.
He made his reputation as a surgeon, but he made a fortune as a salesman
Oz dispensed nutritional and lifestyle advice on his show, portraying himself as a trusted doctor capable of explaining health matters in an engaging and approachable way. But his show also blurred the line between medical advice and advertising, failing to make clear to his audience just how closely he worked with the companies he pitched.
He repeatedly promoted products of questionable medical value and was named in lawsuits that alleged he made misleading claims on the show. Several of the companies he has promoted are structured as multilevel marketing businesses whose practices have repeatedly drawn the attention of federal regulators.
Oz had a net worth between $100 million and $315 million, according to a federal financial disclosure he filed in 2022, which gives dollar values in ranges but does not provide specific figures.
He ran for U.S. Senate
Oz ran for U.S. Senate as a Republican in 2022, one of the highest-profile races of that year’s midterms. Though he was a longtime resident of New Jersey and worked in New York City, Oz ran in Pennsylvania, citing ties to the state through his wife’s parents.
His campaign leaned heavily into his celebrity. Its logo looked just like his TV show logo. His themes — “a dose of reality” or “the doctor is in” — spun off his TV doctor reputation.
He ran in a crowded Republican primary and won Trump’s endorsement.
“Women, in particular, are drawn to Dr. Oz for his advice and counsel. I have seen this many times over the years. They know him, believe in him, and trust him,” Trump said when he endorsed Oz.
Following a court battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Oz narrowly won the primary over McCormick by 951 votes but lost to Democrat John Fetterman in the general election.
Oz and Trump have a long personal history
Oz told The Associated Press in a 2022 interview that he first met Trump in 2004 or 2005 when he asked Trump to use his golf course for an event for Oz’s children’s charity. Trump agreed. After that, they saw each other intermittently at social events before Oz interviewed Trump about his health during the 2016 presidential campaign.
In a 2016 appearance on “The Dr. Oz Show,” Trump said his wife, Melania Trump, was “a big fan” of the show.
Trump appointed Oz to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition during his first term.
He would oversee a massive agency
If confirmed by the Senate to lead CMS, Oz would oversee Medicare, Medicaid, children’s health insurance and the Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare.” The programs cover more than 160 million people, from newborns to nursing home residents.
CMS also plays a central role in the nation’s $4.5 trillion healthcare economy, setting Medicare payment rates for hospitals, doctors, labs and other service providers. Government payment levels become the foundation for private insurers. The agency also sets standards that govern how healthcare providers operate.
The agency has more than 6,000 employees and a $1.1 trillion budget.
