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'That's not the question': Dem lawmaker clashes with Dr. Oz over nursing home care
March 14, 2025 11:27AM ET
Politico's Robert King highlighted an "interesting exchange" between Dr. Mehmet Oz and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) about whether a registered nurse should always be present at nursing homes.
President Donald Trump nominated Oz to oversee the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administration.
“Do you believe, in a nursing home, there should be a registered nurse available around the clock 24/7?” asked Wyden. "The reason I ask this is because that is the rule that is coming out, but there will be an effort to roll back. Should there be nursing homes without nurses?"
"It is a complicated question," replied Oz.
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"No, it's not. We need a nurse in a nursing home. Not too complicated," Wyden continued.
"I actually think we need a nurse who will work in a nursing home, and in many nursing homes, that is a problem," said Oz. "So, I believe we can provide quality care equivalent to having a nurse in the nursing home using tools and technology including telemedicine."
He continued: "I want to be flexible enough so that we deal with a mass crisis that we spoke about briefly yesterday, that we have a lot of people aging. In the opening statements, it was pointed out that we will go from 68 million people on Medicaid to 90 million people on Medicaid over the next decade. So, I want to ensure that if confirmed I would like to focus on this issue."
Wyden said that as it stands, there is a 5-year mandate for rural communities to come into compliance. He wants to "get this done."
"I hope you won't take the nurses out of nursing homes because there will be an effort in the senate to do that, and I'm going to be opposed to it," he closed.
At a different point in the hearing, Wyden asked if Oz would agree that there should not be any cuts to Medicaid.
"I cherish Medicaid and I worked within the Medicaid environment quite extensively," said Oz.
"That's not the question," replied Wyden.
"I want to make sure that the patients today in the future," Oz said.
See the clip below or at the link here.
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