The Senate Finance Committee held a March 14 confirmation hearing on Dr. Mehmet Oz’s nomination to be Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The hearing addressed several critical issues facing aging services providers and the patients, residents, and families they serve.

Some of the top themes of the hearing included Dr. Oz’s reservations about the nursing home minimum staffing rule, his acknowledgement of workforce shortages and challenges to accessing care in rural communities, the need for Medicare Advantage reforms to limit prior authorizations, and the benefits of utilizing telehealth and artificial intelligence in addressing some of these issues.

In his opening statement, Dr. Oz outlined a vision focused largely on modernizing CMS’s systems; addressing waste, fraud and abuse; and incentivizing Americans to make healthier lifestyle choices. In an apparent reversal of his prior position endorsing a “Medicare Advantage for All” system that would privatize Medicare, Dr. Oz noted the problems of overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans, the need to limit prior authorizations and address the practice of “upcoding” where providers or plans bill for treating patients as sicker than they actually are.

When asked by Committee Democrats if he would commit to opposing Medicaid cuts proposed by Congressional Republicans, Dr. Oz refused to be pinned down. “I cherish Medicaid,” Dr. Oz stated in an exchange with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Committee’s Ranking Democratic Member. Senator Wyden responded, “Since you cherish Medicaid, will you agree to oppose cuts in the Medicaid program?” Dr. Oz declined to do so.

LeadingAge was actively engaged with Committee members prior to the hearing, providing suggested questions to gain clarity on Dr. Oz’s policy positions regarding nursing home staffing, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid funding and other issues.

The committee provided its members five additional days to submit questions to Dr. Oz in writing. After he responds to those questions, the Committee will schedule a vote on whether to send Dr. Oz’s nomination to the full Senate, where he is expected to be confirmed.

Read Committee Chair Mike Crapo’s (R-ID) statement here.