Reproductive Equity Now Statement on Trump’s Expected Nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to Serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
BOSTON (November 19, 2024) – Following the news that President-elect Donald Trump intends to nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz as the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now, released the following statement:
“Dr. Oz made clear during his run for Senate that he does not trust pregnant people to be in charge of their own reproductive futures – at least, without the input of politicians. By putting an anti-abortion, anti-woman TV doctor in charge of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Donald Trump is directly threatening access to contraceptive care guaranteed under the Affordable Care Act, and emergency abortion care under EMTALA. He’s putting at risk the progress we’ve made to address our nation’s worsening maternal health crisis, and he is threatening reproductive health care services for low-income people across our country. We have been sounding the alarm for years now – anti-abortion extremists are not satisfied with decimating the national right to abortion care; they are intent on eliminating access to birth control, disrupting assisted reproduction like IVF, and weakening maternal health care. Now, our predictions are coming true in the face of these dangerous and unqualified nominations.”
BACKGROUND:
During his run for Senate, Dr. Oz stated in his debate with Senator John Fetterman that he believes decisions regarding abortion care should be between a patient, their provider, and their “local political leader.”
In a telephone town hall during his run for Senate, Dr. Oz stated that he believes that life “begins at conception” and that abortion is “still murder” at any stage of pregnancy. On his issues page at the time of these remarks, Dr. Oz described himself as “100% Pro-Life.”
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is charged with enforcing the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), and issued guidance in 2022 reminding Medicare hospitals of their responsibility under EMTALA to provide stabilizing care to pregnant patients, including emergency abortion care when necessary to preserve the life and health of the pregnant person. This guidance also encouraged governors across the nation to seek Medicaid 1115 waivers to expand access to reproductive health care for women in states where abortion access is under attack.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is also responsible for the Maternal and Infant Health Initiative, which both promotes access to preventative maternal medicine and access to birth control under Medicaid. CMS also supports the enforcement of the requirement under the Affordable Care Act for insurance plans to cover birth control for participants.
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