'Very Concerned' About Dr. Oz Nomination To Run Medicare: LI Lawmaker
VALLEY STREAM, NY — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Dr. Mehmet Oz to oversee the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is being met with skepticism from one local lawmaker.
Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages (D-Valley Stream), a member of the Health Committee, worries what Oz’s confirmation would have on Long Island’s elderly population and many others, who rely on Medicare and Medicaid.
“By them cutting healthcare, millions of New Yorkers could lose their opportunity to have high-quality care,” Solages told Patch.
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As of December 2023, the state provided 7.5 million New Yorkers with health insurance through Medicaid.
Troubling for Solages is that Oz’s background falls short of making him effective in this government role.
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“They need experienced, policy-driven leadership,” Solages told Patch. “I’m very concerned by a TV personality with the track record of promoting unproven treatments.”
The CMS falls under the purview of Health and Human Services (HHS), which Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been nominated to lead, despite his controversial anti-vaccine comments.
“I see these stances firsthand that hinders and harms people, and I just have a deep concern,” she said.
With talk of making cuts to government programs hanging over the Oz announcement, Solages said, “This is not about efficiency. This is about making sure that people have a lack of health care.”
State lawmakers are proactively trying to address healthcare concerns before Trump takes office. Federal approval by the CMS is pending for a managed care tax that funds the state’s health care system.
“If the tax is not approved, and if the Trump administration cuts it, that means there’s going to be deep cuts to health care in New York state,” Solages said.
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