Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is gutting the minority health offices within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the federal agency of the U.S. government responsible for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, particularly for those least able to help themselves.
The agency administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs, oversees the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which oversees disease prevention and control, and coordinates the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) medical research activities.
According to inside sources, the agency has already laid off a significant portion of staff employed in offices dealing with health inequalities, including their directors. Affected units include the Office of Minority Health and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). The cuts also extend to other federal agencies such as the FDA, CDCs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Health policy experts express serious concern stating that “deep cuts to these divisions could widen the already existing health disparities in the United States, undoing years of progress in trying to eliminate them.” According to analysts, the consequences of these cuts could include increased health care costs, increased pressure on the hospital system, and an overall deterioration in public health.
“It’s going to have negative health impacts, obviously, for the groups they focus on – so racial and ethnic minorities – and ultimately it’s going to impact all of us, regardless of our background,” said Stephanie Ettinger De Cuba, research professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University.
