Trump Taps Dr. Oz for Key Health Post Amid Healthcare Reform Drive

President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Despite his unsuccessful Senate run, Oz will collaborate with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to address health system inefficiencies. The initiative aims to tackle chronic diseases and reduce budgetary waste.

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday his appointment of Dr. Mehmet Oz, a well-known celebrity doctor, to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This decision follows Oz's unsuccessful Senate run in 2022, which was endorsed by Trump himself.

Trump emphasized that Oz, along with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will tackle what he called the 'illness industrial complex' and address the chronic diseases impacting the American healthcare system. Their agenda includes reducing waste and fraud, aiming to alleviate burdens on the national budget.

The initiative marks a significant development in healthcare administration, as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services play a vital role in managing health insurance for over 140 million Americans through programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Trump has pledged not to cut Medicare during his campaign but hinted at allowing Medicaid subsidies to expire by 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)