Does Trump’s Pick to Lead Medicare Want to End Medicare?

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Incoming president Donald Trump has picked TV celebrity Mehmet Öz, or “Dr. Oz,” to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Center for Science in the Public Interest has denounced him for being “famous for promoting medicines and supplements that do not do what Öz says they do.” 

Meanwhile, Public Citizen has pointed out Öz’s direct conflict of interest in overseeing CMS as an advocate of expanding Medicare Advantage. Öz owns significant shares in UnitedHealth Group, a private insurance company notorious for denying claims and making money off Medicare Advantage.

Eagan Kemp, a health care policy expert who previously served as a senior policy analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, spoke with YES! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar on YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali about the possible impact of Öz’s appointment.