RFK Jr.’s ‘overhaul’ of HHS: Reduces workforce, restructures internal functions

The Trump administration is continuing with its plan to cut bureaucracy and streamline the government. The latest agency to announce changes was the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which reported that it will decrease its workforce and restructure its functions and subsidiaries, among other measures referenced by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS secretary, assured that this plan is aimed to "overhaul" the agency and ending internal waste, evidenced a few days ago through a private investigation, to give "benefits" to taxpayers.

"Over time, bureaucracies like HHS become wasteful and inefficient even when most of their staff are dedicated and competent civil servants. … 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," Kennedy said in a statement.

FDA, CDC and NIH workforce reductions

HHS said it will eliminate 10,000 jobs so that, added to retirements or other efforts, the agency will go from having 82,000 full-time workers on payroll to 62,000. The decision will save taxpayers $1.8 billion.

Of the total number of jobs to be cut, 3,500 correspond to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2,400 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,200 to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and 300 to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

On the other hand, HHS detailed that it will "streamline" its functions. That is, a move stemming from the existing "redundancy" within the department's 28 divisions.

The agency led by Kennedy Jr. will reduce those 28 divisions to 15. In addition, he confirmed the creation of a new one, called Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), which will encompass the functions that, until now, were performed by units such as Human Resources, Information Technology, Acquisitions, External Affairs and Policy.

Regarding restructuring, the number of regional offices will decrease from 10 to five.

Kennedy will maintain Medicare and Medicaid

Other new news regarding HHS is that it will focus on "reversing the chronic disease epidemic," boosting consumption of "safe, wholesome food, clean water, and the elimination of environmental toxins."

In the face of some criticism about his management, the HHS secretary assured that he will guarantee the existence and assistance of Medicare, Medicaid and other essential health services.

"We aren't just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. 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," Kennedy Jr. stressed.