Latest news with #Dr.Oz
New York Post
26-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Dr. Oz offers to keep targeted Canadian ostriches at his Fla. ranch: ‘Have to get them out'
Dr. Oz has joined the flock. The TV doc-turned-Trump administration bigwig is adding his name to a bid to rescue hundreds of ostriches facing a death sentence in Canada — offering his sprawling Florida ranch as the flock's new home. 'We're sticking our necks out for the birds,' said Oz, whose full name is Mehmet Cengiz Oz, to The Post on Monday. Advertisement Oz threw his ranch into the ring after Big Apple supermarket billionaire John Catsimatidis announced he was joining activists trying to save 400 of the flightless birds facing certain death in British Columbia over bird-flu fears and then US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. followed suit. 'The Canadians should stop putting their heads in the sand,' Oz said. 'We just have to get [the ostriches] out of Canada. 5 Mehmet Cengiz Oz, better known as Dr. Oz, has offered his Florida ranch to house hundreds of Canadian ostriches headed for the death chamber amid bird-flu fears. CHRIS KLEPONIS/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Advertisement 'It doesn't help anyone to kill all the birds.' Oz is offering his 900-acre ranch in Okeechobee, Fla., as a solution — leading to an overjoyed Catsimatidis, an animal lover. 'I'm thrilled,' Catsimatidis told The Post on Monday. 'Bring the ostriches to Dr. Oz in Florida where they will be safe. I agree with RFK and Dr. Oz that the ostriches aren't sick.' The Canadian government has insisted the birds need to be destroyed because the deadly, highly contagious flu was found in two ostrich carcasses on the farm in December. Advertisement But Oz and other supporters of the remaining ostriches said the avian virus likely ran its course through the flock already and that the remaining birds probably have immunity. 'We should study the birds to see the likelihood of them getting infected,' he said. 'The Canadians don't seem to want to do this.' 5 Canadian officials said about 400 ostriches in British Columbia need to be put down to stop the spread of avian flu. Gusak – 5 US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kenney Jr. and. Oz are birds of a feather when it comes to the ostriches. AP Advertisement On Friday, Kennedy shot off a letter to the Canadian agency urging its officials to think it over. 'Ostriches can live up to 50 years, providing the opportunity for future insights into immune longevity associated with the H5N1 virus,' Kennedy wrote. 'The indiscriminate destruction of entire flocks without up-to-date testing and evaluation can have significant consequences, including the loss of valuable genetic stork that may help explain risk factors for H5N1 mortality,' the letter said. This may be important for future agricultural resilience.' 5 Big Apple mogul John Catsimatidis (center) brought more national attention to the ostriches' plight. LP Media 5 A flock of ostriches in Canada could be put down because officials fear the spread of avian flu in the Great White North. Facebook/Universal Ostrich Farm Catsimatidis praised Kennedy for the move, and Oz, who is the administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also quickly got on board. He said he spoke directly to the ostrich-farm owner, who seemed open to the idea of transferring the birds to his US property. Advertisement 'I can house the birds. She agreed,' Oz said. 'It's not just about ostriches,' Oz said. 'It's about all the birds. I'd rather the scientists make the determination — not bureaucrats. We found out what happened during the COVID pandemic, when the bureaucrats made all the decisions.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Medicare Advantage plans may cover things like pet food, golf fees and ski passes
Some Medicare Advantage plans are offering enrollees surprising supplemental benefits to boost their health, though a new report notes that those benefits have been extended to expenses with a less direct impact on health — such as golf equipment, pet supplies and more. A report in the Manhattan Institute's City Journal notes that Medicare Advantage, which was devised as a way to make Medicare more cost-efficient by having private insurers manage the health coverage of enrollees, has seen the expansion of its supplemental benefits over time. The program saw steady enrollment gains and yielded savings in the mid-2010s by rooting out unnecessarily expensive procedures and using those funds to offer enrollees more affordable premiums and reduced out-of-pocket costs. Medicare Advantage's supplemental benefits were initially limited to additional benefits such as dental and vision plans that had a connection to health. Congress enacted changes to Medicare Advantage plans through the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which broadened the definition to allow them to offer supplemental benefits that had a "reasonable expectation of improving or maintaining the health or overall function" of enrollees dealing with chronic illnesses. Dr. Oz Uncovers Shocking Medicaid Flaw That Is Costing Us Billions, Warns People Are 'Gaming' The System While the supplemental benefits were still required to be related to health or hospitalizations, the looser definition allowed those benefits to be used on expenses like groceries, as well as sporting and social activities that could offer a less direct boost to an enrollee's health. Read On The Fox Business App The particular benefits in Medicare Advantage plans vary by provider, but the City Journal's report noted that some offer greens fees at golf courses and ski passes, as well as food and supplies for pets, hunting licenses and entry fees for social clubs. The Federal Budget Deficit Keeps Growing And The Congressional Budget Office Has Solutions Eligibility for Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI), as the benefits are known, has grown as the majority of Medicare beneficiaries have chronic medical conditions, while plan payments have gone up. Coding has also become more complex, and increased enrollment by relatively younger, healthier enrollees has created a dynamic where the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission noted that it "overpays for beneficiaries who have very low costs, and underpays for beneficiaries who have very high costs." That has resulted in Medicare's payments to Medicare Advantage plans increasing from 112% to 120% of the program's estimated costs for directly paying for beneficiaries' medical services from 2015 to 2024. Additionally, the report noted that overpayments to plans increased from $18 billion to $77 billion each year, which was attributed in part to expanded supplemental benefits. Cbo Says Us Budget Deficits To Widen, National Debt To Surge To 156% Of Gdp "Medicare Advantage was intended to be a cost-saving alternative to traditional Medicare. But overpayments to plans have left taxpayers on the hook for an additional $1 trillion over the next decade," wrote Manhattan Institute senior fellow Chris Pope. The report noted that the idea of cutting overpayments to Medicare Advantage has received bipartisan support in Congress and could provide spending reductions in congressional Republicans' tax cut package to offset some of the lost tax revenue under the proposal. "If Republicans want to make a real dent in the budget deficit — and head off Democratic plans to redirect the savings into expanding other social programs — they should move to rein in payments and use the savings to ease the burden on taxpayers," Pope article source: Medicare Advantage plans may cover things like pet food, golf fees and ski passes Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GOP targets Medicaid: Trump admin's Dr. Oz on drugs & getting vaccinated despite RFK Jr. claims
Dr. Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, joins MSNBC's Ari Melber for an extended conversation on the Trump administration's plan to lower prescription drug prices, the future of Medicaid, and RFK Jr.'s claims about vaccines. (The Beat's YouTube playlist: Beat merch:
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Dr. Oz: Medicaid won't pay for gender-affirming care
Dr. Oz: Medicaid won't pay for gender-affirming care CMS leader Dr. Mehmet Oz said Medicaid won't pay for gender reassignment operations or hormone treatments for minors. Show Caption Hide Caption Dr. Oz to lead Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Senate confirmed Dr. Oz 53-45, along party lines, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS will no longer use Medicaid funds for gender-affirming care for minors. This decision aligns with a previous executive order by President Trump. Gender-affirming surgeries are more common among young adults than minors, according to a 2023 study. The federal agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid has told states not to use Medicaid funding to pay for gender-affirming care for minors. Dr. Mehmet Oz, the newly confirmed administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the federal agency will stop paying for gender reassignment operations or hormone treatments for those under 18. In a a statement, Oz said his "top priority is protecting children" and upholding the law. "Medicaid dollars are not to be used for gender reassignment surgeries or hormone treatments in minors – procedures that can cause permanent, irreversible harm, including sterilization," Oz said. The federal agency must ensure medical care is "lawful, necessary, and truly in the best interest of patients," Oz said. "CMS will not support services that violate this standard or place vulnerable children at risk." On April 11, CMS sent a letter to state Medicaid directors informing them of the agency's decision. The letter, signed by Deputy Administrator Drew Snyder, said states are obligated to ensure care is delivered in "a manner consistent with the best interest of beneficiaries." Oz was confirmed by the Senate on April 3 to oversee the federal agency in a largely, party-line vote. Before his confirmation, Sen. Josh Hawley questioned Oz, a former television host, about segments he had aired that seemed to support transgender care and abortion rights. In a social media post, Hawley, a Missouri Republican, said he decided to back Oz's nomination after Oz switched his stance on those issues. Gender-affirming care rare most common among young adults A 2023 study in the medical journal JAMA Network Open found gender-affirming surgeries were most popular with young adults. More than 25,000 people ages 19 to 30 received these procedures from 2016 through 2019. Fewer than 8% of patients − a total of 3,678 − were 12- to 18-year-olds. Lawmakers, mainly in conservative states, are pursuing restrictions against these procedures. About 1 in 4 people who underwent gender-affirming care were covered by Medicaid, the study found. Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating the U.S. would not "fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support" gender-affirming care. The executive order states doctors are 'maiming and sterilizing' children and using 'chemical and surgical mutilation' tools. Several U.S. professional medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have supported gender-affirming care policies. State laws targeting transgender people made trans and nonbinary people aged 13 to 24 more likely to attempt suicide in the past year, according to a survey conducted by the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization. In his statement, Oz said gender-affirming care can cost up to $134,000 and he said other nations are "rethinking these types of interventions." "Like them, we believe psychotherapy, not life-altering drugs, or surgery, should be the first line of treatment," Oz said. "This isn't about politics or stigma. It's about protecting people from decisions they may not fully understand, and consequences they can't undo." Adrianna Rodriguez contributed to this report.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dr. Oz's Granddaughter Faints During President Donald Trump's Speech
Originally appeared on E! Online Good thing there was a doctor in the house—the White House, that is. Moments after Dr. Mehmet Oz was sworn in as President Donald Trump's administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the Oval Office, a commotion occurred when Dr. Oz's granddaughter Philomena Jovanovic, 11, the eldest of his daughter Daphne Oz's four kids, fainted. In footage from the April 18 event, the president was speaking to reporters when he was interrupted by a stir on the other side of the office. As a woman shouted, 'Philo fainted, Philo fainted. Dad, go!' Dr. Oz—who shares kids Daphne, 39, Arabella Oz, 34, Zoe Oz, 28, and Oliver Oz, 25, with wife Lisa Oz—rushed over toward his family. As members of the press, who were told to leave the room, made their exit, Daphne—who also shares kids Jovan Jovanovic, 9, Domenica Celine Jovanovic, 7, and Giovanna Ines Jovanovic, 5, with husband John Jovanovic—could be seen helping her daughter out of the office. More from E! Online Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Make First Public Outing Since Welcoming Baby 9-1-1 Killed Off a Major Character in Intense Season 8 Episode Post Malone's Ex-Fiancée Requests Full Physical Custody of Their Daughter Though the scene was tense, the White House later clarified that Philomena was doing well. "A minor family member fainted during Dr. Oz's swearing in ceremony in the Oval Office,' a spokesperson said in an April 18 statement to People. 'We are happy to say she is okay." While Daphne—who followed in her dad's TV footsteps, hosting the daytime cooking show The Chew for seven seasons from 2011 to 2017—was quick to be by her daughter's side, she has also been vocal about the benefit of having a family so deeply entrenched in the world of medicine. 'I don't know what I would do without a doctor on call all the time because I'm so used to it,' the cookbook author told Parade in 2020. 'Both of my grandfathers are doctors, my dad, my uncle. So everything gets a call.' Beyond Dr. Oz, read on to learn more about who else is part of President Donald Trump's second administration. Vice President JD VanceSecretary of State Marco RubioSecretary of Treasury Scott BessentSecretary of Defense Pete HegsethAttorney General Pam BondiSecretary of Interior Doug BurgumSecretary of Agriculture Brooke RollinsSecretary of Commerce Howard LutnickSecretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemerSecretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy of Housing and Urban Development Scott TurnerSecretary of Transportation Sean DuffySecretary of Energy Chris WrightSecretary of Education Linda McMahonSecretary of Veterans Affairs Doug CollinsSecretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
