A video posted by Mehmet Oz, the Administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has sparked backlash after he filmed himself driving through Armenian-populated neighborhoods in Los Angeles and suggested that Armenian-language businesses were linked to a widespread healthcare fraud scheme.
Oz, a Turkish-American dual citizen better known as “Dr. Oz” from his years as a television personality, shared the video on Tuesday, recording footage in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, an area with a large Armenian-American population. In the video, he points to medical facilities and small businesses displaying Armenian-language signs, repeatedly referencing the presence of Armenian writing as an indicator of criminal activity, which he at times incorrectly refers to as a “dialect” or as Cyrillic script.
“So you can see these are medical buildings. They’ve got Cyrillic writing,” Oz says in the video, misidentifying Armenian script. He later adds, “You see Russian, Armenian writing,” despite the writing shown in the footage being in Armenian and not Russian.
In the video, Oz films outside two businesses located in a strip mall, Kilikia Art Studio and Tigranakert Lavash, both displaying Armenian-language signage. Beneath the name of the lavash bakery, the Armenian text reads “fresh bread.”
Despite this, Oz implies the businesses are connected to organized crime. “It’s run, quite a bit of it, by the Russian–Armenian mafia,” he claims. “You notice the lettering and language behind me is of that dialect. It also highlights the fact that this is an organized crime mafia deal,” he adds.
The video quickly drew condemnation from members of the Armenian community in the United States, who accused Oz of ethnic profiling and stigmatization.
Alex Galitsky, Policy Director at the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), condemned Oz’s remarks, accusing him of engaging in ethnic scapegoating.
“Dr. Oz is in Los Angeles targeting the Armenian community with the same vile dehumanizing rhetoric we saw fuel the collective punishment of Minnesota’s Somalian community,” Galitsky said. “This type of intimidation, harassment, and tarring of our community over the actions of a few isn’t necessary for a legitimate investigation into any real abuse, it is ethnic scapegoating par excellence, and they’re not even trying to hide it.”
Galitsky added that the remarks were particularly troubling: “And from a man who publicly denies the Armenian Genocide & proudly served in Turkey’s military, no less.”
Criticism also extended beyond advocacy groups. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Press Office mocked Dr. Oz for taking credit for California’s hospice fraud crackdown, writing: “Amazing to watch Dr. Oz cosplay as a fraud fighter for an effort the STATE launched years ago — back when he was busy pitching ‘miracle’ horse supplements to insomniacs on late-night TV.”
Newsom’s press office added: “Our office is reviewing reports that Dr. Mehmet Oz targeted the Armenian American community in Southern California recently — making racially charged claims of fraud outside Armenian-owned businesses, including a popular bakery. Given the historic sensitivities involved, we are taking these allegations seriously. Any and all acts of hate have no place in California.”
Hospice care, which is a form of medical service for patients who are expected to live six months or less, has been under scrutiny recently.
Although there have been hospice-related Medicaid fraud cases in California involving individuals of Armenian descent, Oz’s video did not provide any proof that the businesses he highlighted were participating in illegal activity.
Between May and November 2025, four California residents were sentenced to prison for their roles in defrauding Medicare of nearly $16 million through sham hospice companies and laundering the fraudulent proceeds, three of whom had Armenian surnames.
Ana Kasparian, a journalist and co-host of The Young Turks, criticized Oz’s video, calling the allegations reckless and unsupported by evidence.
“Kinda dopey to point to a business sign that reads ‘fresh lavash’, Armenian bread, and claim said business is part of a ‘mafia-gang deal’ with no evidence,” Kasparian said. “I’m familiar with that establishment. It’s an Armenian bakery… not a fake hospice.”
Critics also pointed to Oz’s controversial past as a medical professional. While holding a medical license, Mehmet Oz, widely known as Dr. Oz, has long promoted misleading, unproven, and science-free alternative therapies, including homeopathy, fad diets, detoxes, and cleanses. Some of his recommendations have been potentially harmful, such as hydroxychloroquine, which he once claimed could be beneficial in the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.
Concerns about Oz are not new for Armenian communities in the United States. His dual citizenship, ties to Turkey, and prior service in the Turkish military, combined with his repeated failure to clearly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide have fueled criticism of both his credibility and judgment.
