Dr. Oz Advocates for the Implementation of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare During His First Meeting with the Medicare Agency.
Dr. Oz, who is now in charge of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and its $1.5 trillion budget, has advocated for the proposal that artificial intelligence avatars could replace frontline healthcare workers.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, recently appointed administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), spent much of his first general meeting on Monday advocating for the use of artificial intelligence within the agency, while also praising Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, according to reports. During the meeting, Oz suggested prioritizing AI avatars over frontline health professionals.
Oz argued that a diabetes diagnosis made by a physician would cost around $100 per hour, while a consultation with an AI avatar would be significantly cheaper, at only $2 per hour. He claimed that patients rated the care they received from an AI avatar as comparable to or even better than that of a human doctor, although research indicates that many patients are skeptical about the medical advice provided by AI technologies. According to Oz, thanks to technologies like machine learning, it is now feasible to rapidly and affordably scale "good ideas."
For several years, CMS has been exploring the use of AI, as documented in archived versions of its website, and published an updated "AI Playbook" in 2022, although these efforts have focused on leveraging CMS's vast databases rather than directly applying AI in patient care. Oz was confirmed as the new CMS administrator on April 3. This agency, which manages Medicare, Medicaid, and Healthcare.gov, is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), whose current secretary is RFK Jr., known for his health-related conspiracy theories.
During the meeting, Oz emphasized that it is a patriotic duty for employees to take care of their health as a way to reduce healthcare costs, citing the expenses associated with Medicare and Medicaid. While discussing obesity in the United States and its impact on CMS, he did not provide verifiable statistics but indicated that this would be one of his main priorities. The Biden administration has proposed covering the costs of weight loss medications, something the Trump administration did not expand.
However, some CMS employees expressed dissatisfaction with Oz's interventions, feeling that his focus on nutrition and exercise did not align with the agency's functions, which concentrate on individuals in care homes and patients in critical conditions. When asked about his preference for being informed on complex policy issues, Oz described himself as "deliberately naïve" on many matters, which, according to sources, seemed to indicate that he was more focused on facts than on personal or political motivations.
Oz also emphasized the need to address "fraud and waste" in the agency, aspects he claimed are targets of the efficiency initiative driven by Elon Musk. Additionally, he supported the MAHA initiative, noting that it is based on "curiosity," a theme that has been promoted by Kennedy through his presidential campaign.
Finally, the idea of bringing new staff to CMS was met with disdain by some attendees, as numerous employees have been recently laid off. "That was, frankly, insulting to the CMS staff," commented one meeting attendee, adding that the current team is outstanding.