The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it's cutting 10,000 jobs and closing offices with the aim of saving $1.8 billion. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
The Department of Health and Human Services faces a massive downsizing and restructuring after Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday announced plans to cut nearly a quarter of the department’s workforce and consolidate its agencies. The changes are the latest effort by the Trump administration to dramatically remake the federal government.
Kennedy’s plan will shrink the HHS’s 28 divisions to 15 — and include the formation of a new unit called the Administration for a Healthy America — as he tries to align the department with his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. The changes will also slash the number of HHS regional offices in half, leaving five to cover the country.
HHS did not detail how different portfolios within agencies would be affected and gave only partial estimates of how many employees would be cut from certain agencies. Other agencies, like the Indian Health Service and the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, were not mentioned in the restructuring announcement at all.
Here’s what to know:
Four agencies will be downsized
Some of the most recognizable agencies within HHS will see their headcount shrink by thousands. They include agencies that protect and monitor the nation’s public health; ensure food and drug safety; support biomedical and public health research; and oversee Medicaid and Medicare services.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which oversees public health policy and response, will shed approximately 2,400 employees. HHS said the agency will absorb about 1,000 workers from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response as the CDC is refashioned to focus on preparing for and responding to disease epidemics and outbreaks.
The Food and Drug Administration, which manages the inspection and safety of consumables like baby formula, bottled water, over-the-counter and prescription drugs and cosmetics, as well as technology like medical implants and X-ray equipment, will lose 3,500 full-time employees. HHS said the workforce cuts would mostly affect “operations” and “administrative” functions, rather than inspectors or workers who review food, drugs and medical devices.
The National Institutes of Health, which funds research focused on improving health and prolonging life, will lose roughly 1,200 employees. HHS said the reductions are expected to affect “procurement, human resources, and communications” across NIH’s 27 institutes and centers. Those subagencies focus on specific concerns, like cancer research, aging, infectious disease, allergies, kidney disease, and disorders affecting hearing and sight.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will lose 300 employees. HHS said the services provided by Medicare, a health insurance program for people 65 and older and younger disabled people, and Medicaid, a health insurance program for low-income and disabled people, will not be affected.
Five agencies will be consolidated into a new Administration for a Healthy America
In his Thursday announcement, Kennedy derided agencies including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as “an alphabet soup of departments.” Kennedy said five agencies would be consolidated under the newly-formed Administration for a Healthy America. The AHA’s specific mandate is unclear, but according to HHS will have divisions that focus on areas like maternal and child health; mental health; environmental health; and HIV and AIDS. In addition to SAMHSA and NIOSH, the AHA will consolidate:
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, who serves as the HHS secretary’s deputy and top health policy adviser.
The Health Resources and Services Administration, which helps poor, geographically isolated and medically vulnerable residents access health care.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which assesses public health hazards at Superfund sites.
Three agencies will be overseen by a new office
Several agencies with administrative functions — the Departmental Appeals Board, the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals and the Office for Civil Rights — will be overseen by a new office of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement, which HHS said will focus on “combating waste, fraud and abuse.”
Two agencies will merge into a new Office of Strategy
HHS will merge the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality into a new Office of Strategy, which will serve as the research arm informing Kennedy’s policies and evaluating the effectiveness of HHS programs.
An older adult and disability-focused agency will be divided
Programs within the Administration for Community Living, which focuses on support for the elderly and people with disabilities, will be split across three agencies: the Administration for Children and Families, the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The reorganization prompted groups like the California-based SCAN Foundation, which advocates for older adults, to call on HHS to preserve the federal government’s work supporting elderly Americans and helping the growing number of senior citizens age in place.