Older Adults Are Sharing How They Feel About Dr. Oz Potentially Overseeing Medicare
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Donald Trump’s nominee to oversee the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, recently appeared before the Senate for his confirmation hearing. Dr. Oz, who has never held public office, has faced class action lawsuits in the past for his misleading on-screen medical advice and was also a critic of how public health experts handled COVID-19.
Similar to Trump, Dr. Oz has a history of favoring and promoting Medicare Advantage, a Medicare-approved health insurance plan offered by private health insurance companies. (Notably, Medicare Advantage was proposed as the default option for Medicare coverage in Project 2025.) At Oz’s Senate hearing, he did not commit to answering whether or not there would be cuts made to Medicare and Medicaid.
With Dr. Oz potentially leading Medicare and other government health insurance programs, Redditor u/Mediocre-Studio2573 asked older adults of the Reddit community to share their thoughts, and they didn’t hold back:
1.“We need Medicare for all, not another HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) with an insurance middleman taking their share and limiting care. Or better yet, offer the same plans at the same cost that Congress enjoys!”
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2.“Oh, I’m terrified. The Advantage plans are all about increasing profit and decreasing care. I live in a very rural area, and there are literally no doctors who accept any of the Advantage plans. I already travel three hours and more for specialists.”
3.“Well, I’m on a Medicare Advantage plan now and have had no problems with it. That said, I’m not saying I would never switch to straight Medicare with a supplement, and I totally disagree with removing the option for people to choose.”
4.“Oz is not qualified to run anything, let alone Medicare. When you shut things down, you don’t need qualified people, which is the Trump administration’s ultimate goal.”
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5.“Dr. Oz is an idiot; however, I absolutely love my Advantage plan. I know people have various objections and whatnot, so maybe I got lucky, but my wife and I both have a $140/month plan that has never denied anything or given us trouble. I had one disagreement with it, but it’s ultimately worked out in my favor.”
6.“The Advantage plans are about profit. I’ve gone down the rabbit hole and have been reading everything I can before turning 65. Put short, there’s no way I’m picking one.”
7.“The problem is that no one has a plan to address healthcare costs — all they want to talk about is who pays the bill, not how to make it smaller. About a month or so ago, my wife had emergency gallbladder surgery and spent three nights in the hospital. The total bill was $50K. Thankfully, most of it was covered by insurance.”
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8.“Dr. Oz is a freakin’ quack.”
9.“I’m 69 years old. I’ve had private health insurance in my working years, followed by a couple of years on SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) when I became ill, and now I’m just on Medicare. I’ve never been turned down or denied any services in my entire life, even now with liver cancer (MRIs, fluid drains, and other various treatments). I have never been afraid of treatments not being available to me until now.”
10.“Private insurance, like Medicare ‘Disadvantage,’ can cut you off whenever they can, unlike public, actual Medicare.”
11.“If Dr. Oz is in charge, he’ll be signing a death warrant for anyone over 75 on Medicare, as that’s the age where older adults seriously start racking up medical bills. I can see people who are forced into an ‘Advantage’ plan using rogue doctors who will accept cash under the table for services. Wealthy seniors will just go out of the country for care if they need it, and I’m certain no aged members of Congress will be on the Advantage plan, either.”
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12.“I love my Medicare Advantage plan, but that doesn’t mean everyone should be forced into one if that doesn’t work for them. Dr Oz is another fool Trump put in charge of something that he has no business in. I have no idea what will happen to us old folks, but I know it will not be good.”
13.“Oz did propose that in 2020, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente. He’s been more circumspect lately, so it’s impossible to say his intentions now. To me, Medicare (Dis)Advantage plans can be the best choice for some low-income older adults because of the lower monthly costs. I have had relatives in that situation; of course, the potential downside is that at some point, the company may decide you’re no longer worth the cost and deny coverage when you need it the most. Lacking one affordable plan for all, I would rather have both the traditional, supplement, AND the private options available.”
14.“Medicare is finished as we know it. Everything is going to be privatized. Even the post office is in the crosshairs, so say goodbye to mail-in voting.”
15.“Medicare Advantage is kind of like the Medicaid of Medicare. You can anticipate waiting many months to get seen by one of the three doctors who take it in your area. It’s initially cheaper on the premium, but it’s a bit more expensive to actually use it. Think of it like an HMO — Advantage only makes sense if you have no reason or need to use it. The second you need it, you’ll be sorry you have it. This is why I pay more for my premium; I get covered ANYWHERE Medicare is taken.”
16.Lastly: “I doubt any of Trump’s appointees have any real input into the departments they’re tasked with heading. They’re just there to toe the line and follow the script laid out in Project 2025 and any other whims Trump and Musk come up with. The other problem is if any of those appointees don’t obey the ‘king,’ they’ll be replaced with someone who will.”
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If you’re an older adult, what are your thoughts about Dr. Oz potentially heading Medicare and Medicaid? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit what you think using this form.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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