RFK Jr. Plans 10K Job Cuts In Major Restructuring Of HHS

The Wall Street Journal (3/27, Essley Whyte, Andrews, Subscription Publication) reports that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans Thursday to cut 10,000 full-time employees from the department, reshaping the nation’s health agencies. The reductions are in addition to 10,000 voluntary departures since President Trump took office. The cuts will eliminate five regional offices and centralize communications, procurement, and policy planning. The reorganization will also impact various agencies, including the CDC, FDA, and NIH, while maintaining essential health services. The Washington Post (3/27, A1, Weber, Diamond, Achenbach, Roubein, Sun) reports the moves will save HHS about $1.8 billion annually by reducing staff from 82,000 to 62,000. Kennedy announced “he will reduce HHS’s 28 divisions to 15 and create a new Administration for a Healthy America that includes several core functions.” CNN (3/27, Tirrell, Luhby, Goodman, Gumbrecht) reports the new Administration for a Healthy America “will combine the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.” HHS stated “it will focus on areas such as primary care, maternal and child health, mental health, environmental health, HIV/AIDS and workforce development.” In addition, HHS will create “a new assistant secretary for enforcement, who will oversee the Office for Civil Rights, the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals and the Departmental Appeals Board.”