On March 25, the Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 along party lines to advance the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to be confirmed as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS.) His nomination now heads to the full Senate for a final vote, which has yet to be scheduled. As CMS Administrator, Dr. Oz would oversee insurance coverage for more than 150 million Americans through Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges.

The Finance Committee held its confirmation hearing with Dr. Oz on March 14, covering a range of policy issues pertinent to aging services. 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, potential Medicaid cuts under consideration by Congress, and other issues relevant to aging services.

In addition to testimony and statements at his March 14 hearing, Dr. Oz also responded to additional questions for the hearing record; post-hearing questions from Committee members and Dr. Oz’s responses were shared on March 24. In those, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) asked Dr. Oz if he would oppose efforts to make Medicare Advantage the default plan for seniors entering Medicare? “Seniors deserve to have choices for accessible, high-quality care. Both traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage are important for giving seniors this choice. If confirmed, I would work to ensure that both traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage are well administered, effective, and available for eligible beneficiaries,” Dr. Oz responded.

Several senators, including Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), raised concerns about Medicare Advantage in their questions for the hearing record to Dr. Oz. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) asked if Dr. Oz would commit to implementing and enforcing the CMS staffing rule on its current timeline. “If confirmed, I will work within CMS to ensure nursing home residents receive safe, high-quality care,” Dr. Oz responded.

LeadingAge will continue tracking Dr. Oz’s nomination as it progresses to a full Senate vote.