SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, spoke to ABC 10News Friday about the Medicare open enrollment period and the political battle over Medicaid spending that has been front and center during the government shutdown.
WATCH: See the full interview with Dr. Oz below
Democrats have argued that the changes to Medicaid in the latest spending bill will mean millions of Americans will lose access to healthcare.
In our interview, Oz said Medicaid spending has returned to pre-pandemic levels and explained the new rules, such as work requirements, will help prevent fraud and abuse so the resources go to people who truly need assistance.
"In order to preserve those vulnerable populations that we should always be out there protecting,we've got to go one step further and make sure that we protect the integrity of the system," Oz said. "And so we did that by asking folks to go back to work if they're able-bodied, and we're providing systems and tools to help them do that, and we're going to check because if you don't check, some people won't work. And those of course got people upset. We believe we can do it successfully, and that's a major focus of the administration."
While pushing the open enrollment campaign, Oz emphasized that Medicare has bipartisan support as one of the most highly touted government programs.
"Medicare is the crown jewel of our social safety net system. It's yours. We pay into it that little bit of your check every 2.9% every time you get a paycheck. That's what it pays for," Oz said. "And when you don't take advantage of it, don't use it. It makes me feel badly because I run the program, and of the 69 million people who could benefit, a good number have figured out that Medicare.gov is a smart place to go, but I want everyone to understand that."
Below, you'll find the list of questions 10News asked Dr. Oz:
- Can you explain the importance of Medicare open enrollment for 69 million Americans?
- What's new this year compared to previous Medicare open enrollment periods?
- Can you address Medicare scams and explain trusted vs. untrusted sources?
- How does the government shutdown affect Medicare and Medicaid services?
- Can you clarify the confusion about Medicaid funding cuts - who's affected and who's protected?
