Home » Oz suggests AI could replace doctors

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the new head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), recently suggested that artificial intelligence (AI) could replace human doctors. He made these comments during his first all-staff meeting with federal health workers.

Oz said that a diabetes diagnosis visit would cost about $100 per hour with a human doctor. But with an AI assistant, it would only cost $2 per hour. He also said that patients might like talking to an AI avatar better than a real doctor.

In the meeting, Oz stressed the importance of health workers staying healthy. He called it a “patriotic duty.” This was similar to what he said at his confirmation hearing. There, he argued that being healthy feels better and reduces healthcare costs from lifestyle-related illnesses.

Oz was appointed by the Trump administration. He now leads CMS, which oversees $1.5 trillion in yearly spending. The agency’s insurance programs cover nearly half of all Americans.

Oz is starting his job during big staff cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. and billionaire Elon Musk are behind these reductions. They have an unofficial “department of government efficiency” initiative.

CMS has had relatively small cuts compared to other departments. It lost 300 workers out of a total of 20,000 across HHS. But Republicans want to reduce Medicaid even more to pay for tax cuts.

Medicaid is the program for low-income Americans that CMS oversees. Before this, Oz was a surgeon and hosted “The Dr. Oz Show” on TV.

He tried to switch to politics but lost a Senate race in Pennsylvania to Democrat John Fetterman. Oz has often been a controversial figure. He has been criticized for promoting unproven medical treatments.