Capping off a week where Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired nearly 7,000 employees in his department, on Thursday, the Senate confirmed Dr. Oz—the reality TV star and failed GOP Senate candidate in Pennsylvania—to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) by a 53-45, party line vote. Don’t worry, America: Kennedy may have terminated the career civil servants and public health experts staving off the next pandemic…but our access to health insurance is now in the hands of a famed, prolific dog-killer who, as...

The trash pile is getting ever higher. On Thursday, the Senate officially confirmed former heart surgeon, TV talk show host, and snake oil peddler Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz was confirmed along party lines, by a 53 to 45 vote. He will now manage the federally provided healthcare coverage of around 140 million Americans, including nearly half of all children covered under Medicaid. Given Oz’s track record of chicanery, recent staffing losses at CMS, and the possibility that the Trump administration will soon...

WASHINGTON — Former heart surgeon and TV pitchman Dr. Mehmet Oz was confirmed Thursday to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz became the agency’s administrator in a party line 53-45 vote. Maine’s U.S senators split on the vote. Sen. Susan Collins joined Republicans in support of Oz while Sen. Angus King voted no. King is an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats. The 64-year-old will manage health insurance programs for roughly half the country, with oversight of Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. He steps into...

WASHINGTON — In a party-line vote of 53-45, the Senate on Thursday confirmed Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz’s confirmation was expected; he is not as controversial as Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or some other Trump picks to run health agencies within the HHS. However, Democrats did not vote for him because they said they cannot trust him to defend against cuts to Medicaid, which Republicans are expected to use to help pay for tax cuts. House Republicans directed the...