1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

The nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services raises serious concerns due to his substantial financial holdings in companies that do business with the agency. As revealed, Dr. Oz owned up to $33 million in stocks of corporations like UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health, Amazon, and Microsoft - all major players in the Medicare and health insurance markets that CMS regulates. This blatant conflict of interest calls into question Dr. Oz's ability to act impartially and in the best interests of Americans rather than favoring the companies in which he is heavily invested. Such entanglements between private financial interests and public service erode trust in government institutions. An ethics agreement outlining divestment from these stakes or recusal from related decisions would be an insufficient remedy, as the scope of CMS oversight is so broad that Dr. Oz would be compromised at nearly every turn. Integrity demands that nominees to lead federal agencies be free of conflicts that divide their loyalties. I urge you to oppose this nomination unless and until Dr. Oz fully divests himself of any holdings tied to the Medicare/health sector to remove all appearances of impropriety.