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Mehmet Oz, the doctor slated to oversee Medicare in the Trump administration, has posted online endorsements for herbal medicines that threaten to violate US advertising laws, according to a health watchdog.
Oz likes to buy things from iHerbadditional company, in notes on X and other social media sites, not to mention his position as a paid consultant, according to a letter from Public Citizen. The nonprofit consumer advocacy group urged the Bureau of Consumer Protection to investigate whether Oz violated Federal Trade Commission rules on advertising.
Oz did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
President Donald Trump’s nominees to lead the nation’s health care system have come under fire from Democratic lawmakers for their acceptance of controversial medical doctrines, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine skepticism. With 3.7 million followers on X and 1.1 million on InstagramOz has already come under fire for his enthusiastic endorsement of things like green coffee beans and raspberry ketones.
Running the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services “is a fiduciary responsibility that, in part, seeks to protect taxpayers from fraud and fraud,” Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, said in a statement. “If Dr. Oz is careless about advertising laws, can we expect him to harm the people who would bring Medicare?”
In frequent posts mentioning iHerb, Oz did not recognize that they were advertisements and that he was a shareholder of the company, according to Public Citizen. According to FTC rules, a mandatory disclosure must be made with every promotion.
Gratitude is a great reason to practice gratitude – which is also a proven way to reduce stress. You can also reduce stress with adaptogens like ashwagandha from a reliable source like @iHerb. Good luck! https://t.co/YhPf8fLbiT
– Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) November 27, 2024
As head of CMS, Oz oversees the agency that oversees health care for more than a third of Americans with $1.7 trillion in annual spending. Oz has also promoted private versions of Medicare, a government program for seniors, and invested in companies that sell them.
Oz and his wife, Lisa, revealed what was going on UnitedHealth Group Inc., the largest US health insurer, about $250,001. The products were disclosed in a appearance which Oz offered as part of his bid for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2022.
The two also had small parts CVS Health Corp. stock, the parent of the insurance company Noand Cigna Group, according to disclosure.
The stock has struggled in recent months as the Biden administration has moved to curb payments, tightening rules that limit refunds. Stocks included People and CVS also declined as CMS reduced the top ratings, called stars, that determine future payments.
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