HHS to cut 10,000 jobs in major reorganization

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On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a sweeping reorganization that will eliminate approximately 10,000 full-time positions.

When combined with other HHS efforts to streamline operations, including early retirement and Fork in the Road — a voluntary “deferred resignation” program sent to federal employees early this year — the department’s workforce has now been reduced from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees.

Led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the move aims to save taxpayers approximately $1.8 billion annually. The initiative aligns with President Trump’s executive order to streamline the federal workforce.

Consolidation of divisions

The department’s reorganization will consolidate HHS’s 28 divisions into 15 new divisions, including the creation of the Administration for Healthy America (AHA). This new division will merge several agencies — including the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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The goal is to enhance coordination of health resources for low-income Americans, focusing on areas like primary care, mental health and environmental health.

The move also creates a new position: Assistant Secretary for Enforcement, responsible for overseeing the Department Appeals Board (DAB), Office of Medicare Hearing and Appeals (OMHA), and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The position will be tasked with combating waste, fraud and abuse in federal health programs.

“We aren’t just reducing bureaucratic sprawl,” Kennedy said in the announcement. “We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic. This Department will do more — a lot more — at a lower cost to the taxpayer.”

The shakeup involves centralizing core functions — human resources, information technology, procurement, external affairs and policy. The number of regional offices will be reduced from ten to five.

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), which is responsible for natural disaster and public health emergency response, will be moved to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of the agency’s goal to protect Americans from health threats.

HHS also plans to merge the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), creating the Office of Strategy, meant to enhance research behind Kennedy’s future policy decisions.

The restructuring also includes dissolving the Administration for Community Living (ACL), with its programs for older adults and people with disabilities to be absorbed into other HHS divisions, including the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), ASPE, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). HHS said the shift would not affect Medicare or Medicaid.

A focus on chronic disease prevention

The announcement also indicated that additional focus would be placed on addressing America’s chronic disease epidemic. “The overhaul will implement the new HHS priority of ending America’s epidemic of chronic illness by focusing on safe, wholesome food, clean water, and the elimination of environmental toxins,” the announcement said, adding that the priorities would be reflected in the department’s reorganization.

“Over time, bureaucracies like HHS become wasteful and inefficient even when most of their staff are dedicated and competent civil servants,” Kennedy said. “This overhaul will be a win-win for taxpayers and for those that HHS serves. That’s the entire American public, because our goal is to Make America Healthy Again.”