미국 의료의 미래에 대한 오즈 박사 : '도시에는 새로운 보안관이 있습니다.'

Tue, Jul 29, 2025, 4:28 PM 8 min read

In an exclusive interview on Yahoo Finance's Decoding Retirement podcast, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), discussed the financial and operational challenges facing the US healthcare system.

Ultimately responsible for the healthcare of 66 million Medicare beneficiaries, 78 million people enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and millions more in Affordable Care Act health plans, Oz weighed in on issues ranging from new Medicaid work requirements to Medicare Advantage fraud.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) could reduce federal Medicaid spending by $793 billion over the next decade and lead to 10.9 million fewer enrollees by 2034.

This is partially attributed to the Medicaid work requirements the OBBA will make states enforce for certain adult enrollees by Jan. 1, 2027, which generally involves 80 hours per month of work, community service, education, or work programs. The CBO estimates the requirement will decrease coverage by 5.2 million enrollees by 2034.

Concerns about red tape are not hypothetical: In Georgia, where work requirements are already in place, reports show otherwise eligible workers are losing coverage simply because of paperwork hurdles. However, Oz said that technology and digital solutions could help beneficiaries comply with the rules without losing coverage.

“We’ve already launched two pilots in Louisiana and Arizona with good results so far,” Oz said.

The new digital process, he explained, uses a smartphone app to verify work automatically through payroll providers. "The people running it are the same folks who fixed the passport system in America,” he said. “Ninety-one percent of people on Medicaid have smartphones. You tap on the smartphone within the app where you're working. Let's say you're an Uber driver, it knows that ADP does your payroll, and so it asks you permission, can I contact ... ADP and ask them about your hours? You say yes and boom ... the entire process is less than seven minutes."

Oz, however, stopped short of addressing some key questions, for example, how many people might lose coverage under the current system, or whether administrative barriers will unfairly affect millions before the new technology is fully in place.

Oz weighed in on the controversy swirling around Medicare Part C, better known as Medicare Advantage. About 33 million people are enrolled in these private plans, offered by companies such as UnitedHealth Group (UNH) and CVS Health (CVS). Medicare Advantage allows enrollees to receive Part A (hospital), Part B (medical), and, when bundled, Part D (prescription drug) coverage in one plan.