FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Contact: Jack Cardinal, jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to Dr. Mehmet Oz’s nomination as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator being voted out of committee, Mona Shah, Senior Director of Policy and Strategy at Community Catalyst, issued the following statement:

“Dr. Mehmet Oz represents a grave threat to health justice, particularly for communities that have long borne the brunt of systemic inequities in our health system. The full Senate should reject his nomination. 

“Dr. Oz’s record of promoting questionable medical practices over evidence-based care undermines the principles of health equity and justice. His nomination raises alarms for the millions of people who rely on Medicaid and Medicare—programs that provide vital health and economic stability for older adults, people with disabilities, and families with low incomes.

“If put in office, he will gladly rubber stamp Republicans’ plans to gut the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and privatize Medicare. 

“Congress has a responsibility to provide checks and balances against harmful appointments and policies. We urge the Senate to reject this nomination and instead champion leadership that prioritizes evidence-based care, equitable and affordable access, and the health of all communities.

“Now is the time to move forward—not backward—on health justice. Dr. Oz’s appointment is a stark reminder of the urgent work ahead to protect Medicaid and Medicare from predatory practices, address the growing burden of medical debt, strengthen the Affordable Care Act, and ensure that our health system is accountable to the people it serves—not corporate interests or extremist agendas.”

Learn more about Community Catalyst’s work to protect and expand Medicaid and Medicare, combat medical debt, and advance health justice through health system innovation at www.communitycatalyst.org. 

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About Community Catalyst:   

Community Catalyst is a national organization dedicated to building the power of people to create a health system rooted in race equity and health justice, and a society where health is a right for all. We’re an experienced, trusted partner to organizations across the country, a change agent to policymakers at the local, state, and national level, and both an adversary and a collaborator to health systems in our efforts to advance health justice. We partner with local, state and national organizations and leaders to leverage and build power so that people are at the center of important decisions about health and health care, whether they are made by health care executives, in state houses, or on Capitol Hill. Together with partners, we’re building a powerful, united movement with a shared vision of and strategy for a health system accountable to all people. Learn more at www.communitycatalyst.org