Dr. Oz Slammed After Telling Americans To Simply 'Get Healthier' To Reduce Their Healthcare Costs

Dr. Mehmet Oz, now the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, was criticized after he suggested during an appearance on Fox News that Americans should just "get healthier" if they want to save on healthcare costs.

Healthcare premiums are up nationwide. For instance, those with plans through the Affordable Care Act's state exchanges are seeing premiums that are about 30% higher than what they paid this year. Premiums for company-sponsored health plans have risen as well, further straining wallets amid a nationwide affordability crisis.

But Oz claimed that obesity rates account for a quarter of annual healthcare spending—untrue—and suggested "if you really want to drop the cost of health care in America, get healthier." He also praised Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative and even whipped out some snacks on the air.

He said:

"Obesity by itself drives about a quarter of healthcare expenses, so if you really want to drop the cost of health care in America, get healthier."

"Getting people to eat better and exercise is [Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s] primary mission. The reason why he took the job was to get [Make America Healthy Again] into the agenda of the American people."

You can hear what he said in the video below.

At no point did he address high premiums, and he was swiftly called out.

In yet another reminder of how out of touch he is with the average citizen, Oz was criticized over the summer for saying that Americans shouldn't "eat carrot cake" as millions faced cuts to their government-funded health insurance.

He spoke shortly after the passage of President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," which will cause 17 million people to lose valuable Medicare and Medicaid coverage. Under the bill, individuals earning just above the federal poverty line would be required to start paying out of pocket for certain Medicaid services, such as doctor visits and lab tests.

Oz didn't address these concerns, only saying "We'll be there for you when you need help with Medicare and Medicaid, but you've got to stay healthy as well." He urged Americans to "do the most that you can do to really live up to the potential, the God given potential, to live a full and healthy life."