Dr. Oz Grilled by Maggie Hassan on Law, Medicaid Cuts, and Supplement Promotions

Commitment to Law and the President

• ❓ Senator Hassan directly asked Dr. Oz if he would follow the law or a presidential directive if it meant breaking the law.
• 🚫 Dr. Oz responded that the president would never issue such a directive, which Senator Hassan found to be an absurd and disappointing answer.

Medicaid and Healthcare Coverage

• 📉 The Republican budget plan, according to the CBO, could lead to millions losing Medicaid coverage, including up to 30,000 children in New Hampshire.
• ⚠️ Dr. Oz stated he does not want children to lose health insurance and that one must reject the Republican budget plan to prevent this.
• 🤰 Medicaid covers a significant portion of births in America, and Senator Hassan questioned Dr. Oz's commitment to preventing cuts that would affect maternal healthcare coverage.
• 🤷 Dr. Oz expressed a need for more knowledge about CMS operations and stated he doesn't know where money is currently allocated.

Senior Services and Digital Access

• 🏛️ Senator Hassan raised concerns about the closure of a Social Security and Medicare enrollment office in New Hampshire.
• 🚗 She questioned if seniors in rural areas would be worse off having to travel long distances for assistance.
• 💻 Dr. Oz suggested modernizing communication with beneficiaries through digital means, but acknowledged that many in rural America lack internet access.

Past Promotions and Accountability

• 📺 Dr. Oz was questioned about promoting supplements like green coffee extract and raspberry ketones on his television show.
• 🤔 He was asked to confirm if he still believed these were effective weight loss solutions, given later findings of fraudulent marketing.
• 💰 Dr. Oz stated he was not paid to promote the supplements but acknowledged the "Dr. Oz effect" where sales increased after his mentions.
• ⚠️ Senator Hassan expressed concern that Dr. Oz seemed unwilling to take accountability for promoting unproven remedies to his viewers.