From “Magic Weight-Loss Beans” To Hydroxychloroquine To Selenium Supplements, Dr. Oz Promotes “Scientifically Dubious Theories”
Yesterday, Donald Trump nominated Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Between Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the Affordable Care Act, over 160 million Americans rely on CMS for their health care. Dr. Oz supports efforts to privatize Medicare and has said that he would have voted against the Affordable Care Act (ACA). His proposals threaten to raise costs and put health care for millions at risk. Instead of nominating someone with experience, Trump chose a dishonest, celebrity medical professional who is most known for promoting scams. The American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics has called him “a dangerous rogue unfit for the office of America’s doctor.” Between the nominations of Dr. Oz and RFK Jr., it is clear Donald Trump is building a cabinet that mirrors himself: incompetent, inexperienced, and unqualified.
HEADLINES
Washington Post: What to Know About Dr. Oz, the TV Physician Trump Tapped to Run Medicare.
- “Throughout his television career, Oz broached controversial topics in segments that sparked backlash, and he broadcast products and advice that critics said were not backed by evidence. A feature on gay conversion therapy that asked viewers, “Is there a gay cure?” was slammed by LGBTQ+ groups.”
- “A group of doctors unsuccessfully pushed Columbia University to cut ties with Oz over his statements against genetically modified foods. He promoted a green coffee bean “miracle pill” to lose weight before the company behind the product was sued by the Federal Trade Commission over bogus claims.”
- “In 2014, a study in the British Medical Journal found that more than half the recommendations made on “The Dr. Oz Show” were either not backed up by, or contradicted, scientific research.”
The Independent: From ‘Magic’ Weight-Loss Coffee Beans To Red Onion Stopping Cancer: Dr Oz’s History Of Baseless Medical Claims.
- “He went on to host his own program, The Dr Oz Show, where he spouted other dangerously misleading claims ranging from ‘magic’ coffee beans to spur weight loss and selenium supplements to prevent cancer. A 2017 paper published by the American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics called him ‘a dangerous rogue unfit for the office of America’s doctor.’”
STAT: Trump Picks Dr. Oz to Lead Medicare and Medicaid.
- “Oz has faced Senate grilling before for his promotion of weight-loss products on his show. He told senators in 2014 that his image and quotes were used unfairly to hawk scam products.”
- “Throughout his career, Oz has oscillated between spouting scientific misinformation and taking evidence-based and nuanced stances that place him well outside the Republic mainstream.”
- “But since entering the world of high-profile Republican politics, he has proved his willingness to toe the party line, perhaps most notably via his newfound vitriol for Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases. On Valentine’s Day 2022, during a heated Republican primary against David McCormick (now senator-elect), Oz wrote in a social media post: ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, Dr. Fauci lied to you.’”
Axios: Trump Picks Dr. Oz to Run Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- “Oz is a household name and became a Trump world ally during a failed 2022 Senate run. But he has no experience running a large government bureaucracy like CMS, which administers Medicare and Medicaid and conducts other services like inspecting nursing homes.”
- “He came to national prominence as Oprah’s go-to health guru, and later hosted his own long-running talk show. Oz has repeatedly drawn criticism over the years, including from fellow medical professionals, for espousing scientifically dubious theories and promoting treatments with no documented efficacy.”
New York Times: Trump Plans to Nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz to Oversee Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare.
- “Dr. Oz has also frequently clashed with other medical experts. In the early days of the pandemic, he promoted the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to ward off the coronavirus, medicines that were shown to be ineffective in treating the virus. A decade ago, he went before a Senate panel and was chastised for hyping so-called miracle weight loss products without substantial proof that they worked.”
Reuters: Trump Picks TV’s Dr. Oz to Run Medicare and Medicaid.
- “Oz was a regular Fox News commentator during the COVID-19 pandemic and a proponent of unproven treatments for COVID-19 including hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug whose use against the disease was also backed by Trump. ”
CNN: Trump Names Dr. Mehmet Oz to Head Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- “The CMS administrator is expected to play an important role in the second Trump administration since Republicans are expected to propose changes to Medicaid, which they have sought to shrink in the past. Plus, the White House and GOP lawmakers will have to decide what to do next year about the enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025.”
- “Oz, who is an advocate of alternative medicines and treatments, has been skewered by the medical community for years. In 2015, a group of physicians wrote Columbia University, saying they were “dismayed” Oz was a member of the school’s faculty. And in 2014, Oz was scolded by senators during a congressional hearing over his promotion of weight-loss products on his television show.”
COMMENTARY
Senator Patty Murray, President Pro Tempore, (D-WA): “Dr. Oz has zero qualifications, pushes alarming pseudoscience, & holds extreme anti-abortion views. CMS is a critical agency & we need serious leaders to protect Americans’ health care and bring down costs—not TV hosts whose main qualification is their loyalty to Trump.”
Senator Ron Wyden, Senate Finance Committee Chair, (D-OR): “Trump’s health care agenda is all about empowering fraudsters and big business while everyday Americans are stuck with the bill. Dr. Oz is no stranger to peddling nonsense to innocent Americans without facing consequences. This is one of the most consequential positions in American government, touching millions of seniors and families who count on Medicare and Medicaid for affordable health care. Americans deserve a leader at CMS who will stand up to Big Pharma and insurance fraudsters who are misleading seniors and denying them essential health care, and I’m not sure a talk show host is up for the fight. I’m especially concerned about rural communities that count on Medicaid for affordable health care for kids and families – you can’t have rural life without rural health care.”
Rep. Frank Pallone, Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member, (D-NJ-06): “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is a workhorse agency. It helps ensure access to health care for millions of Americans, including our nation’s seniors, our children, and the poorest Americans. Given the crucial importance of this agency, I am alarmed that President-elect Trump has chosen a TV celebrity without the experience or background to lead it. Unfortunately, this nomination further demonstrates that Trump is not concerned about Americans’ health care. By nominating both RFK, Jr. and Dr. Oz, Trump is doubling down on leaders that peddle in dangerous misinformation that endangers public health.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA): “Running Medicare and Medicaid for over 100 million Americans isn’t like hosting a daytime talk show. Dr. Oz is another rich guy who doesn’t care if your health care costs go up or an insurance company denies you coverage. These decisions have life and death consequences.”