Mehmet Oz, M.D., the new administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has laid out his vision for the Department of Health & Human Services’ largest agency.
In an April 10 press release distributed after the first week in his new position, Oz referenced President Donald Trump’s mandate to “Make America Healthy Again.”
“Great societies protect their most vulnerable,” Oz said in the press release. “As stewards of the health of so many Americans — especially disadvantaged youth, those with disabilities, and our seniors — the CMS team is dedicated to delivering superior health outcomes across each program we administer. America is too great for small dreams, and I’m ready to get work on the president’s agenda.”
Oz listed four main goals:
— “Empowering the American people with personalized solutions [so] they can better manage their health and navigate the complex health-care system.” Oz noted that CMS would implement Trump’s executive order for transparency “to give Americans the information they need about costs.”
— “Equipping health-care providers with better information about the patients they serve and holding them accountable for health outcomes, rather than unnecessary paperwork that distracts them from their mission.” As an example, Oz said CMS “will work to streamline access to life-saving treatments.”
— “Identifying and eliminating fraud, waste and abuse to stop unscrupulous people who are stealing from vulnerable patients and taxpayers.”
— “Shifting the paradigm for health care from a system that focuses on sick care to one that fosters prevention, wellness, and chronic disease management.” As an example, Oz noted “many programs” under CMS control that could focus “on improving holistic health outcomes.”
Oz is likely best known to the public for his syndicated daytime television series “The Dr. Oz Show,” which ran for 13 seasons. He received M.D. and M.B.A. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and is the former leader of the heart institute at New York Presbyterian Medical Center, the press release said.
“We aim to mark our Make America Healthy Again efforts with curiosity, courage, competence, and compassion,” the announcement said, adding that under Oz’s leadership, “CMS will work to modernize Medicare, the Marketplaces and Medicaid, so Americans get the care that they want, need, and deserve.”
