Dr. Mehmet Oz assures that as long as people can “prove that they matter,” they will not lose their Medicaid.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator explained to Fox Business’ Larry Kudlow Wednesday why the Trump administration wants to enforce work requirements for Medicaid.
“Why don’t we have work requirements for Medicaid? Well the reason is 60 years ago, when the program was created, it never dawned on anybody that able-bodied people who could work would be on Medicaid, so they never bothered putting in work requirements,” he said.
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“We’re asking that able-bodied individuals who are able to go back to work at least try to get a job, or volunteer, or take care of a loved one who needs help, or go back into school,” Oz added. “Do something to show you have agency over your future.”
“And if you’re willing to do any of those things, we will check the box and you will get to keep your free Medicaid,” he said.
But Oz said that if people weren’t willing to do this, then “we’re going to ask you to go on and do something else,” but “we’re not going to continue to pay for Medicaid for those audiences.”
He noted that other programs such as food stamps and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program have work requirements, though for TANF people need to “engage in work and/or educational activities in most cases,” but not all, depending on the state.
A handful of GOP senators have expressed concern over President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the potential Medicaid cuts that could result from it.
This apprehension was only made worse when White House adviser and Trump’s crypto czar David Sacks accidentally let it slip last week that the bill would include significant cuts to Medicaid.
“This bill cuts $880 billion from Medicaid over a decade,” he said on the All-In podcast May 24, going against what the White House had originally claimed.
House Speaker Mike Johnson tried to quell these concerns last week by saying that the bill was a “moral” endeavor to try and stop “illegal aliens” from “defrauding” the system, and would not affect those that needed Medicaid.
He claimed that currently, the people who “desperately need those resources” are being “drained by fraud, waste, and abuse,” one of the administration’s favorite phrases.
But the Congressional Budget Office found that at least 10 million Americans will be forced off Medicaid as a result of this bill, in large part due to the work requirements.
Oz said Wednesday that he has “confidence in the American people” to be able to find jobs so they can continue to qualify for Medicaid.
He urged people to “go out there, do entry level jobs, get into the workforce, prove that you matter, get agency into your own life.”
“It’s a much more enjoyable experience if you’re going through life thinking that you control your destiny,” he stated. “And you’ll get better insurance at the same time.”
Oz referenced the Clinton administration’s TANF reforms, another common talking point by supporters of Trump’s bill, which he said showed a 15 percent increase in workforce participation among Americans.
“So Democratic presidents, Republican presidents, have all felt that work was an important part of the deal with America, and we’re just acting on the reality,” he told Kudlow.
He also included a jab at the Biden administration, saying that because of them, the federal government was now “picking up 90 percent of the tab” for Medicaid.
“That doesn’t make sense, it’s not good policy,” Oz said.
