Dr. Oz Waffles After CNN's Dana Bash Asks Him Flat Out to Promise Americans Will Be Able to Afford Their Health Coverage

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: MEDIAite

Nov 16th, 2025, 1:26 pm


CNN’s Dana Bash tried to elicit a promise from Dr. Mehmet Oz on Sunday’s State of the Union that the Trump administration will make sure Americans will be able to afford their health insurance costs, which are set to skyrocket in price by the end of the year.

Some 45 million Americans who purchase their health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace with the help of tax credits have been bracing for the end of the subsidies as laid out in Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Bash asked Oz, who runs the nation’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, about the administration’s “plan to replace Obamacare.” “I actually did not say I was going to replace Obamacare,” Oz corrected her, continuing:

What I said was there are many ideas out there. Some of them could replace Obamacare. Many of them will not. There’s tactics that we’re discussing right now. The shutdown just ended. We were held hostage, as you know, unable to even discuss this. We didn’t have actuaries in the offices. We didn’t have insurance experts. All those folks are back working full speed, and we are giving the president lots of options. We have reinsurance as an option, which is traditionally used to make insurance more affordable. We have tactics that would allow Americans to play a different role than they historically have played in this marketplace.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/dr-oz-waffles-after-cnns-dana-bash-asks-him-flat-out-to-promise-americans-will-be-able-to-afford-their-health-coverage/

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First he says -

“I actually did not say I was going to replace Obamacare,”

and then he goes on to say -

What I said was there are many ideas out there. Some of them could replace Obamacare.

So you DID "say it".

And then this -

The shutdown just ended. We were held hostage, as you know, unable to even discuss this.

It's been "discussed" for the past 15 years and the only thing that the GOP has come up with is "Repeal". Period. The only reason why it still exists is because McCain gave the thumbs down to "repeal" and that ended that (at the time).

[progree]

1. The Republicans, back in 2017, came up with a plan pushed by tRump that came within one vote of passing

the AHCA (American Health Care Act) and the BCRA (Better Care Reconciliation Act), which were remarkably similar to the ACA except vastly underfunded -- such that premiums were expected to be much much higher (and coverage weaker) for most people, leading the CBO to estimate 22 million people would lose insurance as a result. Yet it came just one vote short of passing.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=20767877

Since 2017 (8 years ago), nothing.

[Beartracks]

2. Americans could "play a different role than they historically have played in this marketplace"...

This sounds like Republican-speak for "Americans will have higher premiums, and if they can't afford them, then tough shit."

Such a capitalist mentality that Americans are simply "consumers" of health care as a commodity, like it's a luxury item like clothes or fru-fru coffee that they can just cut back on when it's gets too expensive.

===============

[erronis]

5. This is definitely the "camel's nose under the tent"

All signs point to Ooze/rfkjr/trump eviscerating whatever exists of ACA and replacing with weasel words.

If you think getting "prior approval" was a joke before, ...

[IbogaProject]

6. I despise our media that speak of health care like furniture

Like it is something you choose to buy or maybe wait. And they neglect to mention that these subsidies don't go the recipient but to health care providers. Those providers employ people this type of spending, even if inefficient, generates jobs spread throughout the country. That part is getting left out as it would pull some consensus over to just renew it until someone proposes a coherent alternative with plenty of time to evaluate.

[Beartracks]

7. Your statement sums up all kinds of federal spending and subsidies...

"this type of spending, even if inefficient, generates jobs spread throughout the country"

Tax dollars going into Federal spending aren't magically removed from the economy. Federal spending is a HUGE driver of economic activity in this country.

====================

[KPN]

3. F'ing "tactics"? nt

[Gaugamela]

4. The idea for Obamacare was thought up by the Heritage Foundation. It became

the basis of “Romneycare”, which Romney implemented in Massachusetts. It’s possible that Obama thought he would have Republican support for the initiative. Anyway, I suspect the reason Republicans hate Obamacare is not because of the concept itself, but merely because Obama initiated it. They may also resent that he “stole” their idea and now they have nothing.

The next chance we get we should just implement Medicare-for-All and put an end to this Republican wankery. Once Americans experience universal healthcare there’s no way they’ll go back.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Yup.

And RMoney's "experiment" became one of the "pilot" sites for managing a healthcare system.

The original Heritage plan was the one that insisted that it be implemented with an "individual mandate" to sustain it or indivduals would pay a penalty. The ACA included that. The SCOTUS eventually struck that provision down in the ACA.

[Mblaze]

8. Health insurance corporations

Are already using reinsurance.

[joanbarnes]

9. ....really it has been "discussed" since the FDR years, or even earlier.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. Well LBJ implemented Medicare in the '60s

which got the ball rolling finally and many (me included) felt that since that system was already in place, just drop the age down (could do that incrementally) and have a "Medicare for All" solution.

But since that idea was rejected and a cobbled together new system was put in place, the GOP has spent the last 15 years trying to get rid of it... And even now, they have gutted Medicaid, and Medicare will probably be next, and then finally Social Security (none of which they wanted).

[C_U_L8R]

11. Oz and the GOP have had lifetimes to come up with an idea

His sputtering about the shutdown is just more weak excuses.
Not one viable idea. One.
Time to put up or shut up. And for fucksake, stop trying to break our healthcare.

[paleotn]

13. They have no ideas. Nothing. If they did.....

we'd be hearing about it now and before the shutdown. Shouted from a damn roof tops. Their only plan at the moment is for Americans to die quickly, just like Alan Grayson said back in 2009.

[Septua]

17. They want a healthcare plan that everyone can afford...

..without the government having to subsidize it with tax money. It ain't gonna' happen. "They" don't want any service that is taxpayer funded. And all the "they" people have the financial wherewithal get along without it...

[Bluetus]

20. Trump has a plan. It is a $2000 check

And you know all that money you paid into Social Security and Medicare? Forget about that. Here's a beautiful $2000 check..

[Blue Owl]

14. Doesn't Oz have some scammy dick pill ad to be filming for Facebook?

[ColoringFool]

15. How Stupid IS Ms. Bash? (And Where's Ex Jeremy Been?) Oz the....

FAKE, the PHONY.

WHEN have Republicans EVER made ANYTHING (pick a topic, any topic) BETTER for Americans?!

Not less expensive, not more healthful, not more aesthetically pleasing, not more edifying, not more secure, not more factual, and not more nourishing of body, mind, or soul. EVER.

[Permanut]

16. I understand there's a xoncept of a plan.

[PatrickforB]

18. It ain't working and has not been for years. Allow me to frame a reply to our beloved Dr Oz...

You want Americans to play a different role in the market?????

Good.

Eliminate the profit motive because IT IS IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH OUR INTERESTS AS PATIENTS.

That's right, Dr Oz! It shouldn't even BE a fucking market.

My premiums are going UP 19.2% in 2026 and I have HEALTH CARE DEBT.

You know what? I want our fucking corrupt Congress, if someone like Hogg or AOC has the guts to do it, to introduce a bill that would FORCE CONGRESS TO HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY INSTEAD OF THEIR LAMBORGHINI PENSION PACKAGE,

AND...wait for it...

HAVE TO BUY THEIR HEALTHCARE FROM THE WILD, WILD MARKET PROVIDED THROUGH ACA.


I'm tired of the party line that 'merika ain't nebber gonna go sosh-a-list. That is shit. This Congress needs to reform.

I'll tell you something else, too. I will now only donate to primary candidates brought forward by INDIVISIBLE. I will not be donating to ANY institutionalists in Congress period. I want Congress to be peopled with a bunch of progressives.

And, for GOD'S sake don't tell me they are 'far left librul' because that is so much shit. AOC is a New Deal Democrat if you know your history.

And make no mistake - whoever is in the White House, we need to clean out the fucking billionaire corruption, corporate corruption, lobbies, and other Wall Street bullshit and start electing people who will actually represent our interests and not some fucking reptilian piece of crap like Dr Oz.

[Beartracks]

19. They had me laughing at "Dr. Oz Waffle."

[not fooled]

21. "Die, proles"

Especially once your peak economically productive years have passed.

that's the puke healthcare plan. Alan Grayson was 100% right.

pukes want everyone on their own. Can you afford healthcare? Fine. No? Get sick and die.

[AllyCat]

22. We don't want ideas! You losers have had 15 years!

All they have is ideas out there?

Not fit to govern!!!!