Fetterman praises former Senate opponent Dr Oz for rooting out Medicaid fraud

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman praised his former political opponent, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, during a Wednesday interview, for Oz's efforts to root out fraud.

Fetterman offered a positive review of Oz's job performance at CMS when asked by CBS News journalist Major Garrett, "Is he doing a good job in the administration, Dr. Oz?"

"I think it's entirely appropriate. I mean, it's — what we're discovering. There was a lot of fraud in Medicaid, and now let's root that out!" Fetterman said. 

"That's the same thing about immigration, root out all of the criminals and deport them. And now I'm very supportive of Medicaid, obviously, but now root out all of the kinds of fraud," Fetterman said. "So it seems like that's what he's zeroing in on and, as long as he continues, yes, absolutely."

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Fetterman defeated Oz in Pennsylvania’s closely watched 2022 Senate race, a contest that became one of the most high-profile and contentious battles of that year’s midterms. Fetterman leaned into a populist, working-class message and frequently mocked Oz as an out-of-touch celebrity from another state. 

During the 2022 Senate campaign against Oz, Fetterman overcame a stroke to win the race, helping Democrats hold the Senate majority that year.

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New York state's Medicaid program is being thoroughly examined by CMS, with Oz claiming there is evidence of widespread fraud. 

In a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this month, Oz asked state officials 50 questions about the program and gave Hochul and her team 30 days to get the requested information to the Trump administration.

A spokesperson for Hochul told Fox News Digital that she was leading efforts to get rid of waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid before President Donald Trump's return to the White House. The spokesperson also said that Hochul's office would work with the administration to "identify bad actors." However, the spokesperson also classified CMS's probe as politically motivated.

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"Well before the Trump administration even took office, Governor Hochul was leading efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse — including sweeping CDPAP reforms that shut down hundreds of wasteful Medicaid middlemen and saved over $2 billion for state and federal taxpayers while protecting home care for those who need it," the spokesperson said.

"But let's be clear about the real goal for Donald Trump and Washington Republicans: eliminating programs that support our most vulnerable and ripping away healthcare from everyday New Yorkers," the spokesperson added.

Fox News' Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.