Chairman Rick Scott Fights to Protect Americans’ Data from Communist China-Linked Medical Devices
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, U.S. Special Committee on Aging Chairman Rick Scott urged Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, to buy American-made medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs, rather than Communist Chinese products that can be used to surveil and harm Americans.
Chairman Rick Scott wrote in a letter to Oz, “CMS should require that any medical device or service provider store its data domestically, and not in Communist China. No federal funds should ever be used to purchase medical devices or equipment that is manufactured in China when an alternative domestic supplier is available...
“As CMS proceeds with various payment policies, such as competitive bidding or RHTF [Rural Health Transformation Fund], and program updates, it must ensure federal spending remains consistent with America First policies and patient privacy. I look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure America’s patients are protected from all threats posed by Communist China and advancing President Trump’s America First agenda to Make America Healthy Again.”
BACKGROUND
In June 2026, Chairman Scott and Senator Dave McCormick sent a letter to Brendan Carr, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), calling for an investigation into Communist China-linked health wearables, including smartwatches and fitness trackers.
These fitness devices are popular among older Americans but rely on Chinese-manufactured technology, raising national security concerns because they collect highly sensitive biometric data from Americans, including heart rate, glucose levels, location, and other medical information.
Just last month, Chairman Scott described the dangers of Communist Chinese-made medical devices in an op-ed at RealClear Politics entitled “Communist China Has Its Eyes on Your Hospital Bed.”
The Senate Special Committee on Aging also held a hearing, “Counting the Cost: Communist China's Toll on Older Americans' Health, Finances, and Security” to expose how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) deliberately targets and harms older Americans. Specifically, the hearing provided proof of the CCP saturating American markets with counterfeit prescriptions and using AI-powered deepfakes to exploit seniors.
In October 2025, Senate Aging Committee Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Gillibrand released an investigative report titled “Protecting Seniors’ Access to Essential Medications: Securing the Foreign Generic Pharmaceutical Supply Chain.” The report focused on America’s dangerous overreliance on foreign-made generic drugs, which are largely imported from China. Chairman Scott has been a leading advocate for transparency and reform in America’s drug supply chain.
The Consumer Labeling for Enhanced API Reporting and Legitimate Accountability for Base Entity Listings (CLEAR LABELS) Act, introduced by Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Gillibrand in January 2026, addresses these concerns by adding country-of-origin labeling requirements to America’s prescription drug supply chain.
Read the full letter HERE or below.
Dear Dr. Oz:
The Senate Special Committee on Aging recently held a hearing, Counting the Cost: Communist China’s Toll on Older Americans’ Health, Finances and Security, with several commissioners from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission as expert witnesses. During the hearing, the commissioners repeatedly emphasized the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to the United States’ healthcare system and American patients. The testimony we received made clear that the U.S. government must do everything possible to eliminate Communist China’s access to America’s health data. As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) manage and develop federal health and payment policies, it is critical to ensure federal funds are used to protect patient health data and promote U.S. medical devices and pharmaceutical investments.
The CCP views the collection of health and genetic data as a national priority and has a well-documented history of collecting genomic data from Americans–especially from health wearables and medical devices. That’s why I, along with fellow Aging Committee member Senator Dave McCormick, recently wrote a letter to Brendan Carr, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), calling for an investigation into Communist China-linked health wearables, including smartwatches and fitness trackers.
Following my letter, China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (through the Science and Technology Daily news outlet) attacked my efforts to protect the data privacy and security interests of the American people. By specifically citing Communist Chinese companies like Xiaomi and Zepp Health, this state media propaganda machine attempted to argue that these companies – and many like them – “can make a meaningful contribution” to the health and welfare of the American people. Given the CCP’s documented history of data exfiltration and efforts to undermine our grid security, as well as its efforts to weaponize personal data for AI development and deployment, under no circumstances can these companies be allowed to access any government program under CMS purview.
This is not limited to consumer products. Communist China has companies that manufacture medical devices for our healthcare system. These offer no protection for patient data. For example, Contec Medical Systems makes a medical monitor that tracks vital signs. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned about an “embedded backdoor function with a hard-coded IP address and functionality that enables patient data spillage.” This is just one of many examples to show how far the CCP will go to obtain our health data, and it presents a real danger as Chinese medical device manufacturers are selling continuous glucose monitors (CGM) in the EU and desire to enter the U.S. market.
Last year, Congress passed the Working Families Tax Cuts (HR 1), which included a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHTF). Rural providers can use these funds to purchase “health care items,” “new and emerging technologies,” and “prioritize data and technology driven solutions.” It is essential that we do not allow Communist China or Chinese manufacturers to exploit these funds as an opportunity to sell products to rural health providers at the American taxpayer’s expense. Chinese medical devices are already found throughout hospital settings, and we should not be expanding their reach. The American Hospital Association already views the use of Chinese medical devices as a threat.
Given these threats, I believe it is essential that CMS prioritize buying American-made medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs from American-owned companies, not Chinese companies that own American subsidiaries. CMS should require that any medical device or service provider store its data domestically, and not in Communist China. No federal funds should ever be used to purchase medical devices or equipment that is manufactured in China when an alternative domestic supplier is available.
As CMS proceeds with various payment policies, such as competitive bidding or RHTF, and program updates, it must ensure federal spending remains consistent with America First policies and patient privacy. I look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure America’s patients are protected from all threats posed by Communist China and advancing President Trump’s America First agenda to Make America Healthy Again.
Sincerely,
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