CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz shared his insights on improving Americans’ health and the economy in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

Oz emphasized the need to reduce healthcare costs by providing high-quality care and promoting healthy behaviors. He stated that the most expensive aspect of healthcare is providing bad quality care, which leads to additional costs for fixing mistakes and treating downstream complications.

Focus on Quality Care

Oz’s focus at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is on delivering quality care, including disease prevention and encouraging healthy behaviors at home. He also highlighted the importance of value-based care, where healthcare providers are paid for delivering high-quality care rather than just performing procedures.

Oz noted that new healthcare technologies are making it easier to deliver high-quality care by meeting patients where they are. He expressed his support for embracing AI, if used safely and correctly, to improve healthcare outcomes.

Annual Wellness Exams

Oz also discussed the importance of annual wellness exams, which are free for Medicare patients. However, he noted that fewer than half of patients take advantage of these exams, which can lead to undetected health problems and more costly treatments later on.

Oz projected that by improving Americans’ health, the country could gain significant economic benefits, including an estimated $1 trillion in value to the nation’s GDP.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.