President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated that there will be “no cuts” to Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Trump made the comments during the swearing-in ceremony of Dr. Mehmet Oz as the new administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
“As CMS Administrator, Dr. Oz will work tirelessly to strengthen and protect Medicare for our nation’s seniors and Medicaid for the needy,” Trump said. “Just as I promised, there will be NO CUTS. We’re not going to have any cuts. We’re going to have only help.”
Trump has repeatedly reassured lawmakers and Americans that he “won’t touch” Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs.
Democrats earlier this year criticized the president’s endorsement of the Republican House budget, which called for cuts to Medicaid. Notably, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) disrupted Trump’s speech to the Joint Session of Congress earlier this year for shouting “no mandate” to cut Medicaid and was later censured for disrupting the president.
Trump has said on multiple occasions that any cuts that happen will only be to slash fraud and waste.
Oz outlined examples of waste in the taxpayer-funded federal programs.
“We’re spending about a billion dollars on Medicaid programs for dual-state eligible patients,” Oz said on Friday. “Which means you live in one state, but the system thinks you’re in another state, or maybe a third state, and we’re paying all three states for services you’re not getting because you don’t live in all three states at once.”
He also pointed out that states are using Medicaid funds for non-medical purposes, including childcare for public labor unions and federal diversity programs.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) earlier this month was reassured by the president that he would not approve any cuts to benefits.
“Tonight I spoke for a good bit with President Trump about Medicaid – he told me the House will NOT cut Medicaid benefits and the Senate will NOT cut Medicaid benefits and he won’t sign any benefit cuts. I hope congressional leadership will get the message,” Hawley wrote on April 3.
Going forward, Trump said Oz will make sure that seniors are protected from fraud.
“Dr. Oz will work to assure the quality of care for decades to come, and he’ll ensure that criminals, fraudsters, and illegal aliens are not permitted to rob seniors. They’re trying to, but they’re not going to get away with it,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, Oz said that CMS is already working to “catch the fraud in real time” and is prepared to advance and improve the programs and reinvest in health care for Americans who need it the most.
