- Dr. Mehmet Oz, an administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told Americans on Medicaid to not "eat carrot cake" and "eat real food" amidst significant cuts to their government-funded health insurance.
- The advice followed Donald Trump signing legislation that extended his 2017 tax cuts and increased border security funding, while simultaneously cutting Medicaid and the food assistance programme SNAP.
- Under Trump's legislation, some Medicaid recipients will be required to regularly file paperwork proving they are working, in school, or volunteering for at least 80 hours a month.
- Estimates suggest that up to 7.8 million Americans could be cut from Medicaid by 2034 due to these changes, according to a Reuters report citing the Congressional Budget Office.
- Oz defended the cuts by citing "fraud, waste and abuses" and suggested that able-bodied individuals should work, drawing criticism from figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren.
IN FULL
