Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Senate Hearing, Oz Steers Around Talk Of Medicaid Cuts
Politico: Dr. Oz, With A TV Host’s Flair, Promises Simple Solutions For America’s Health Care Ills
Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare, told senators a combination of investments, technology, and regulatory changes could both bring down costs and make America healthy again. “We have a generational opportunity to fix our health care system and help people stay healthy for longer,” Oz told senators on the Finance Committee on Friday. (King and Cirruzzo, 3/14)
KFF Health News: Watch: The Dr. Oz Show Comes To Congress
The Senate Finance Committee got its chance March 14 to question Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the vast Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the largest agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Oz, with his long history in television, was as polished as one would expect, brushing off even some more controversial parts of his past with apparent ease. (Rovner, Pradhan and Armour, 3/17)
The New York Times: Dr. Oz Became Famous Giving Health Advice. Was It Any Good?
The New York Times analyzed claims Dr. Oz has made about preventive health measures across 2,500 television appearances, clips from “The Dr. Oz Show,” social media posts and other public statements. We then asked experts to weigh in on the evidence behind some of his common claims. (Blum, Agrawal and Datar, 3/14)
More on Medicaid —
WHAS11: Kentucky Senate Passes Medicaid Reform Bill
The Kentucky Senate passes House Bill 695, adding work requirements and oversight to Medicaid amid budget efficiency debates. Governor Beshear may veto. (Scheele, 3/16)
The Washington Post: A Trump County Worries Medicaid Cuts Could Throw Them Back Into Opioid Spiral
Candice Fee isn’t sure who’s right in the debate over the future of Medicaid: the Republican president whose party says it will leave federal health funding intact as it seeks to slice billions in government spending or the Democrats who warn that the broad cuts the president has promised can’t happen without carving into one of the government’s most costly programs. But if Medicaid is axed, Fee knows exactly what will happen to the life she has pieced back together after decades of addiction. “If it were to go away today, I would be homeless tomorrow. I would lose everything. All my counseling, all my treatment. I would absolutely be homeless tomorrow,” said Fee, 42. (Wootson Jr., 3/16)
KFF Health News: Checking The Facts On Medicaid Use By Latinos
Spending cuts, immigration, and Medicaid are at the top of the Washington agenda. That climate provides fertile ground for misinformation and myths to multiply on social networks. Some of the most common are those surrounding immigrants, Latinos, and Medicaid. These claims include assertions that Latinos who use Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income people and those with disabilities, “do not work” and exaggerations of the percentage of people with Medicaid who are Latinos. (Andalo and Rubio, 3/17)
