Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is urging Americans to reconsider when they retire, arguing that staying in the workforce longer could strengthen both personal health and the national economy. The proposal, however, has reopened long-running questions about who actually has the ability to delay retirement.

Speaking at the National Press Club, Oz said that if Americans nearing retirement worked just one additional year, it would generate trillions in economic growth because “they feel healthy, they’re vital, they feel strong, they have agency over their future.”

In a separate interview, Oz framed the argument more broadly, saying, “It’s better for society if people engage for longer.”

Democrats were quick to criticize the message, with the Democratic National Committee accusing Oz of effectively asking Americans to work longer to offset the cost of President Donald Trump’s tax and immigration legislation, which added significantly to the federal deficit.

Research suggests the message lands differently depending on income and education. Higher earners and people with college degrees already tend to retire later, live longer and have more savings. Workers without those advantages often face physically demanding jobs that make extended careers unrealistic.

Oz argues that better health could change those outcomes. “I do have concerns that part of the reason people retire at age 61 instead of 65 is because they don’t feel healthy,” he said. “They retire and sort of fix their health, and it should be the opposite: Your health should be tuned up the whole time.”

For millions of Americans, the debate is less about motivation than feasibility, a gap that policy proposals alone may not close.