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Dr Mehmet Oz “significantly underpaid” his taxes for some of the programs he intends to oversee, Democrats claimed ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing Friday.
The TV doctor has been nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and is expected to be grilled by Democrats during the hearing over his significant wealth and dubious past medical advice.
A memo from Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee reportedly claims that Oz, 64, underpaid Medicare and Social Security taxes in 2022 and 2023, NBC News reports.
The memo, seen by the outlet, summarizes Oz’s tax returns from 2021, 2022, and 2023 when he held an interest in Oz Property Holdings LLC.
“He avoided hundreds of thousands of dollars in Social Security and Medicare taxes in the years reviewed,” the memo reportedly said.
Democrats allege that Oz did not pay any Medicare or Social Security tax in 2023 and paid “negligible” amounts in 2022.
“Dr. Oz’s position is counter to the position of the Department of Treasury and results in him not paying into Social Security and Medicare, the very healthcare program he hopes to manage,” Democrats wrote in the memo.
A spokesperson for Oz maintained he is in compliance with the law.
“The Office of Government Ethics has conducted an extensive review of Dr. Oz’s finances as part of the regular vetting process,” Christopher Krepioch told NBC News. “OGE has transmitted to the Senate a letter indicating that any potential conflicts have been resolved and he is in compliance with the law.”
Republican Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, added that Oz “followed the law and provided significant amounts of documentation to substantiate his tax return positions as part of the committee’s rigorous vetting process.”
More than half the country relies on Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, which Oz will oversee if he is confirmed Friday.
Medicaid provides nearly-free health care coverage to millions of the poorest children and adults in the U.S. while Medicare gives older Americans and the disabled access to health insurance. The Affordable Care Act is the Obama-era program that offers health insurance plans to millions of Americans who do not qualify for government-assisted health insurance, but do not get insurance through their employer.
Oz’s tax returns are just one area Democrats will likely quiz him about. It emerged last month that his wealth has grown in part from for-profit health care companies over which he’d wield significant power if confirmed, according to a government ethics report, the Associated Press reported .
In the filing, the former talk show host pledged to divest from those companies within three months of confirmation and said that until then, he wouldn’t participate in any matter that could affect his investments.
Oz’s net worth is between $98 million and $332 million, according to an analysis of the disclosure, which lists asset values in ranges but does not give precise dollar figures. His most recent disclosure shows he also holds millions of dollars worth of shares in health insurance, fertility, pharmaceutical and vitamin companies.
Oz said in the filing that he will sell off parts of his significant and diverse investment portfolio, which ranges from retail giants such as Walmart to tech companies such as Apple.
