Dr. Oz Talks Healthcare Fraud Crackdown

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bloomberg Talks – Dr. Oz Talks Healthcare Fraud Crackdown

Date: May 6, 2026
Host(s): Bloomberg
Guest: Dr. Mehmet Oz

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Overview

This episode features Dr. Mehmet Oz discussing the ongoing federal crackdown on healthcare fraud, the persistent issue of health care affordability, and the current state of programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and Obamacare. The conversation is direct and data-driven, with Dr. Oz sharing insights on fraud trends, prescription drug prices, and the effects of recent policy interventions – all delivered with characteristic candor and urgency.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crisis of Health Care Affordability

• Affordability as foundational: Dr. Oz contends that health care affordability isn’t just another consumer issue—it's integral to the American promise that health allows everyone to 'own a piece of the rock' and participate fully in society.
• Staggering statistics: One in three Americans can’t fill their doctor-prescribed medication, largely due to high drug prices in the U.S. ([01:18]).
  • “One in three Americans, after they see their doctor, get a prescription, go to the pharmacy, cannot fill it.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz [01:28]

2. Prescription Drug Costs & Solutions

• International disparities: Americans often pay at least three times more for common drugs—even when bottled domestically—compared to Europeans.
• Introduction of Trumprx.gov:
  • This tool offers price transparency by listing negotiated, most-favored-nation prices for medications ([02:13]).
  • Dr. Oz emphasizes it is not just a discount tool but a means of demystifying drug pricing.
  • “Before you buy a medication, at least check the price that's on Trumprx.gov… It's a transparency site for you… demystify what drugs should cost you.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz [02:13]
• Ongoing additions: More drugs and companies are being added as part of a White House initiative.

3. The Crackdown on Hospice Fraud

• Concentration of fraud in Los Angeles: An unusual statistic—one-third of all U.S. hospices are located in Los Angeles, not California as a whole.
  • This anomaly points toward systemic fraud.
  • “One in three hospices in the entire country are here in Los Angeles… Look around. People aren't that sick. They're not all dying in Los Angeles.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz [02:58]
• Operation details:
  • Over 400 fraudulent hospices have been shut down nationwide so far, and payments suspended to suspected bad actors ([03:02 - 04:08]).
  • Lack of public complaints post-shutdown further indicates that many services were illegitimate.
  • Dr. Oz illustrates the normalization of fraud in hospice businesses:
    • “The plumber overheard the conversation, said, hey, me too… everyone's in the business because it's become so easy to defraud the government.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz [03:33]

4. Obamacare Expansion and Fraud Concerns

• Obamacare enrollments have nearly doubled (from ~12M to 23M), primarily through increased subsidies and outreach ([04:29]).
• Questionable usage:
  • Nearly half of new enrollees never filed a single claim, raising suspicions about ineligible sign-ups or lack of awareness ([04:29]).
  • “Almost half never filed a claim. So let me ask you, if you have health insurance, you once in a while use it. If you never file a claim, you should be asking yourself, well, what happened?” – Dr. Mehmet Oz [04:44]

5. Medicaid & Medicare Solvency Through Fraud Reduction

• Medicare trust fund outlook:
  • Dr. Oz claims anti-fraud crackdowns (like closing fraudulent hospices) have doubled Medicare trust fund longevity ([05:34]).
  • “If you shut hospice down so they don't defraud billions of dollars… it doubles the life expectancy of the Medicare trust fund. Doubles it.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz [05:36]
• Medicaid savings:
  • Without intervention, an estimated $5.4 trillion would have been lost to fraud over time.
  • Dr. Oz underscores that this new financial footing ensures these entitlement programs' survival for future generations.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On drug affordability:

  “When you can't afford health care, that destroys the basic covenant you have with America… If you're not healthy, that's not happening.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz [01:22]

• On fraud in hospice care:

  “You see more and more doctors selling their souls, literally their licenses, to be able to falsely claim people are about to die.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz [03:13]

• On program integrity:

  “The President has been very clear. He loves and cherishes Medicare. It will remain exactly as you know it, but it's going to last longer. Taking the fraud out.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz [05:48]

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Important Timestamps

• 01:18 – Dr. Oz explains health care affordability and the prescription fill challenge.
• 02:13 – Discussion about Trumprx.gov and goals for drug price transparency.
• 02:58 – The discovery of massive hospice fraud in Los Angeles.
• 04:29 – Obamacare expansion, rising costs, and suspicious non-use.
• 05:34 – Impact of fraud prevention on Medicare solvency.
• 06:26 – Wrap-up, future invitations, and Dr. Oz's willingness to continue the conversation.

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Tone and Flow

The episode is fast-paced, data-driven, and features a healthy dose of skepticism and frankness from Dr. Oz. The hosts push back at points, reflecting real public concerns, while Dr. Oz responds with statistics and policy explanations, asserting optimism about ongoing reforms.

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Summary in a Nutshell

Dr. Mehmet Oz spotlights the profound links between health care affordability, systemic fraud, and the long-term vitality of U.S. medical safety nets. Armed with striking numbers and anecdotes, he illustrates the scope of health care’s financial challenges, underscores the urgency of transparency and enforcement, and insists that aggressive anti-fraud measures are extending the life and health of iconic federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Transcript

[Dr. Mehmet Oz]

Indiana University strengthens tomorrow's workforce with practical, real world experience. IU grads make a difference in your community, serving as teachers, nurses and engineers who rise to tomorrow's challenges and meet them. Learn more at iu.edu impact,

[Podcast Host 1]

Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News.

[Podcast Host 2]

You never know who you're going to meet at Milken is the moral of the story here. And that's why it's been playing itself out in a lot of different ways, including right. Dr. Mehmet Oz just walked in the room, we waved, and he came to sit down with us here.

[Podcast Host 1]

It works here.

[Podcast Host 2]

Do not wave.

[Dr. Mehmet Oz]

I got dragged with a hook.

[Podcast Host 2]

See how I tried to make that? He had no idea that we were going to do this. Well, you know, we could just. We saw each other, we ran at each other and embraced. It's great to see you in Los Angeles. You're, of course, very, very much at home here. And I know that you're here, as you mentioned, to see your daughter on a panel. But there's a conversation at Milken that is right down the middle for you, and that's affordability in health care. It's something that we've heard a lot of executives talk about as they try to get their arms around this. And it's a solution that a lot of folks are waiting for. I know it's something that you're talking about right now at the White House. It's this K shaped economy that we're in. This is one of the first areas where you can make a difference.

[Dr. Mehmet Oz]

And we are doing a difference. The reality of health care affordability is unlike other problems, like you can't afford the eggs, you get upset. You know, the car costs more than you want, you get mad at the dealer usually. But when you can't afford health care, that destroys the basic covenant you have with America. You own a piece of the rock. That means you get to be on the playing field. If you're not healthy, that's not happening. And especially if your family's compromised. So I'll give you a couple stats just to blow your mind for folks who may not realize how difficult it is for a lot of Americans. One in three Americans, after they see their doctor, get a prescription, go to the pharmacy, cannot fill it. One in three. And part of the reason for that is we pay three times more, at least we were three times more for drugs made even in this country bottled here than Europeans are paying for those exact same products. So some of the most common drugs we're using in America, like the weight loss drugs, the fertility drugs, you know, basic drugs we use for fundamental recovery of health unaffordable to many Americans.

[Podcast Host 2]

So this is why Trump rx, right.

[Dr. Mehmet Oz]

Trump rx.gov which, by the way, if you haven't heard of it, please, Trump rx.gov before you buy a medication, at least check the price that's on Trump rx.gov. don't think of it like a discount site, although the prices are dramatically lower because they've been negotiated to be most favored nation pricing. But make sure that it's a transparency site for you. At least demystify what drugs should cost you. And we are continuing to add drugs. We had an Oval Office event last week adding the 17th of the 17 drugs of the biggest of the 17 companies that the president wanted us to add. These are all the largest companies in the world. And so we're making huge progress there. The affordability issues also, however, touch on fraud. And part of the reason I'll be spending some time in Los Angeles of late is that one in three hospices in the entire country. Remember hospices where you go to die?

[Podcast Host 2]

Yes.

[Dr. Mehmet Oz]

With dignity. One in three in the entire country are here in Los Angeles, not California.

[Podcast Host 2]

Wow.

[Dr. Mehmet Oz]

Los Angeles. Look around. People aren't that sick. They're not all dying in Los Angeles. When you see those kinds of variances in utilization, you start to suspect fraud. And in fact, that's exactly what's happening. We've shut down over 400 of these hospices in this country. Once they shut down, we suspended payments. We're not giving them anything. And so far from the first batch, people aren't complaining, which means they sort of know they were getting caught. And when you see this process existing without some type of enforcement or integrity of the system, reinforcing the need to be able to run it correctly, it encourages corruption. And so you see more and more doctors selling their souls, literally their licenses, to be able to falsely claim people are about to die. You see, business folks, that quick story guy made a fortune again using this hospice loophole in California. And he was building a massive house with all his money. And the guy who was the carpenter remarked that he was in the hospice business. And the plumber overheard the conversation, said, hey, me too. So literally, the contractors and the person buying and building the house, everyone's in the business because it's become so easy to defraud the government.

[Podcast Host 1]

We're stopping that Dr. OSB there's fraud and then there's a lot of great doctors out there and a lot of great Care healthcare providers. And I gotta say, I talk with real Americans every day who are saying that the rollback in Obamacare, I mean, their health care costs are going up. I mean, that is problematic. I thought the whole goal was to reduce the cost of health care.

[Dr. Mehmet Oz]

Well, I'm going to push back on you for a second. So we had 23 million people on Obamacare last year. Historically, it was about 12 million people. So it's almost doubled. But most of the people that were asking about these issues aren't quite as upset as you claim because the average person went from being 82% subsidized. Right. That's what they are now. And how much did they lose? They used to be 87% subsidized. So what happened in Obamacare is a massive push to enroll people. But if you don't ask people to even put $1 up for Obamacare, you end up with a lot of fraudulent enrolled people. So I'll give you some numbers. Of the 23 million people, almost half never filed a claim. So let me ask you, if you have health insurance, you once in a while use it. If you never file a claim, you should be asking yourself, well, what happened? Why do I even have this insurance? And it turns out many people didn't even know they had coverage. Look at the numbers right now. We went from 23 million to 22 million.

[Podcast Host 1]

I guess. Yeah, we didn't. I would beg to differ. And I would also say I'm a little concerned about administration policies and how we're going to retire in America in terms of, you know, Medicare and so on and so forth. Like, I do worry about the Medicare

[Dr. Mehmet Oz]

is healthier than it's ever been because of program integrity. If you shut hospice down so they don't defraud billions of dollars out of the system, I'll give you a number that's going to make this make us very clear. It doubles the life expectancy of the Medicare trust fund. Doubles it. So anyone out there working their tail off who thinks Medicare is going to be there for me when I retire, if you know it's going to last twice as long, you feel good about it. And we're not doing anything, we're not touching Medicare in any way. The President has been very clear. He loves and cherishes Medicare. It will remain exactly as you know it, but it's going to last longer. Taking the fraud out. And I think I'm going to shock you with this. The President saved Medicaid with some of these actions because we were looking at 5.4 trillion more dollars to be poured into basically legalized money laundering that would have bankrupted the system. So what we have done is put these programs on firm footing that they will continue to survive for the rest of our lifetimes.

[Podcast Host 1]

I hope. I hope so.

[Podcast Host 2]

Would you come talk to us and Washington when we're back in town? I want to keep this going.

[Dr. Mehmet Oz]

Of course. It's a real pleasure.

[Podcast Host 2]

I hope the panel goes well with your daughter. And thank you for stopping by. Don't be late for us.

[Podcast Host 1]

Thanks for coming in on our hook.

[Podcast Host 2]

We hooked him again, Carol.

[Narrator]

For many men, mental health challenges aren't recognized until they've already taken a toll. Work pressure, financial stress, changing relationships, and traditional expectations around masculinity can quietly wear men down, often without clear warning signs. In season three of the Visibility Gap, Dr. Guy Winch and his guests explore how these pressures to spot them earlier and how men can access meaningful support. Listen to the new season of the Visibility Gap, a podcast presented by Cigna Healthcare.