OAN Staff Lillian Mann
7:11 PM – Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the 17th Administrator of the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), declared that healthcare fraud is a predatory threat that “steals our nation’s trust,” rather than merely just a financial crime.
He made his captivating speech on Wednesday at the GOP Midterm Convention — hosted by the Republican National Committee (RNC) in Dallas, Texas.
Speaking at the American Airlines Center, Dr. Oz championed historic drug pricing and rural health investments while emphasizing the Trump administration’s crack down on medical corruption.
As soon as he arrived at the microphone, Oz joked with the cheering crowd, “I’ve got to admit something, before entering public service, I spent most of my life, as you all know, as a heart surgeon and what I learned in Washington, amazingly, is that politics is very similar to surgery — except its much bloodier.”
In his remarks, Oz went on to praise the milestone of record-low prescription levels across the U.S., while celebrating TrumpRx and the successes of the GLP-1 weight loss drug.
“The president calls it the fat shot. It’s contributing to a historic American weight loss. So many of you look like gazelles tonight probably for that reason,” he joked. “Thanks to President Trump, Americans are entitled to the same drug prices as citizens in England, Germany, and Japan,” he said, noting it was the first time U.S. prices have ever matched those in other nations.
“Americans should never ever choose between buying groceries and taking medicines,” he continued.
Highlighting the largest investment in rural healthcare in U.S. history — a $50 billion injection — Oz noted that the nation’s 60 million rural residents face a life span nearly three years shorter than those in urban areas.
He then transitioned to another critical issue — tackling ongoing fraud and corruption — which he highlighted is driving up healthcare costs and threatening the future of Medicare.
“But fraud is more than about money,” he stressed. “Fraud steals our nations trust. These programs wither in a low-trust environment. Every year a hundred billion dollars is stolen from tax payers like you in the form of fraud,” Oz continued.
The CMS administrator then focused his remarks on Kaiden Francis, a college basketball player who died in 2024 from multiple heart attacks during a game — a tragedy he argued was entirely preventable if the player’s “fraudster doctor” had not carelessly dismissed clear signs of an enlarged heart.
“A DOJ investigation found that a fraudster doctor spent roughly 11 seconds reviewing 63 cardiovascular images of his heart.” Oz said. “The scans indicated that his heart was significantly enlarged. But the fraudulent doctor signed the results as ‘normal.’”
“I’m a heart specialist. I can assure you that a trained professional should not have missed these results. Kaiden died because of a predatory scheme dressed in medical clothing,” he added. “We must challenge this evil corruption — federal and state agencies must coordinate their efforts to halt fraud before it happens.”
“Not only to stop the loss of tax payer dollars but to prevent Americans from dying at the hands of these thieves.”
Closing out his speech, Dr. Oz offered an optimistic vision for the future of the nation’s health.
“Working together, we can make healthcare more affordable, accessible, accountable — [and] doing so means that we are healthier people. People who realize our dreams, celebrate our milestones, contribute to our communities and enjoy fulfilling lives while raising healthy families.”
After hosting “The Dr. Oz Show” for 13 years — earning nine Daytime Emmy Awards and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star along the way — the Delaware-raised doctor gained national recognition and won the Pennsylvania Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2022, according to his official website.
Dr. Oz has also authored over 400 original publications, book chapters and medical books, while leading The Good Life Magazine with Hearst for a decade and writing a Hearst-syndicated newspaper column that reached 175 international markets for 15 years.
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