By Sneha Kapil, Mitchell Stoddard, Manasvi Khullar, and Erin Everett
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, March 4, 2025
“I don’t believe in antibiotics!” My patient told me, frustrated that I was not going along with her faith in the healing powers of a supplement. As a young doctor in training, I was unprepared for the current landscape of severe mistrust in health care. My patient had a bacterial urinary tract infection that has long been treated with antibiotics. However, she was refusing antibiotics despite weeks of pain, much to my disappointment. Although this happened to one of us (Manasvi Khullar), all four of us have countless similar stories.
The lack of trust in the health care system has led patients to turn to false promises, not physicians, for their health care needs. Although many failures led to this point, there are multiple people who have perpetuated lies in the name of profit. One of these individuals is Dr. Mehmet Oz, the nominee to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) who will oversee the process of care coverage decisions, the Affordable Care Act and a $1.5 trillion budget.
Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon, famous for his daytime talk show that reaches millions of Americans. He follows many evidence-based principles — a belief in a healthy diet, the power of activity and social connection. However, he has also often promoted questionable therapies like “magic weight loss cures” and claimed that cellphones can cause breast cancer. One study found that half of his recommendations had zero evidence. Given this, how will Oz use taxpayer money to decide what therapies are covered by Medicare? How does he plan to respond to therapies not based in scientific evidence?
One plan for CMS that Oz has touted is “Medicare Advantage (MA) for All,” which allows CMS to contract with private insurance companies to fulfill Medicare requirements. But reports show that MA patients were denied care by insurance companies that should have been covered, with the plan pocketing the difference. MA plans have also been shown to overcharge the government by adding unnecessary codes to charts. The $88 billion to $120 billion upcharged annually is enough to expand traditional Medicare to include dental, vision and hearing coverage.
Oz proposes making MA the default enrollment option, restricting patient choice and funneling $200 billion annually to insurance companies, which jeopardizes traditional Medicare. Experts estimate expanding MA to cover 75% of enrollees could waste nearly $2 trillion over the next decade without improving health care quality. Rural seniors would suffer the most, as restricted provider networks and underfunded hospitals already limit access to care in these areas. By advocating for “Medicare Advantage for All,” Oz puts the pockets of private corporate interests before quality patient care.
Oz also owns stock in many companies that he would be tasked with regulating. For example, he owns shares in the UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health Corp, the owner of Aetna Insurance. This appears at odds with past statements in which Oz said, “I’ve fought Big Pharma, I’ve gone to battle with Big Tech, I cannot be bought.”
As future physicians, we refuse to inherit a system where patients die while insurance companies post record profits. This nomination leaves millions — especially seniors and women — at risk of losing reliable health care. The American public has demanded change at all levels of government and has elected President Trump to shake things up. Oz is an out-of-the-box thinker who has claimed that he cares about the health of Americans. But senators should act urgently to confront his apparent conflicts of interest and controversial beliefs during the confirmation process. The American people deserve a gifted cardiothoracic surgeon who can provide a steady hand during a time of crisis, not a con man who will sacrifice your health and taxpayer money to make a quick buck.
Sneha Kapil is a third year MD/MS candidate at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Mitchell Stoddard is a second year DO/MPH candidate at Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.
Manasvi Khullar is a fourth year medical student at Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Erin Everett is a fourth year MD/MPH candidate at Tulane School of Medicine.
The views represented in this op-ed are their own and not that of their universities.
