WASHINGTON — Recently, an email was dispatched to most of the 80,000 federal employees at the Health and Human Services Department, who are engaged in vital tasks like disease research, food safety inspections, and managing Medicare and Medicaid. This email presented them with an opportunity to voluntarily resign in exchange for a payment of up to $25,000, part of the cost-cutting measures initiated by President Donald Trump.
Employees can begin opting into this offer starting Monday, with a deadline set for 5 p.m. on Friday to submit their responses. The message reached personnel throughout the department, which encompasses key agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), both located in Maryland.
The mass communication targeted a wide array of HHS employees, arriving just days before agency leaders are expected to unveil plans aimed at workforce reductions. The HHS is notably one of the most expensive federal entities, operating with an annual budget close to $1.7 trillion, predominantly allocated for healthcare services for millions enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid.
The agency is responsible for overseeing health insurance for nearly half of the U.S. population, providing Medicare for seniors and Medicaid for low-income individuals and those with disabilities.
As of Sunday, there has been no immediate response from HHS regarding the email.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as Trump’s health secretary, has alluded to potential significant staff reductions. Last year, he pledged to eliminate 600 positions at the NIH, the country’s primary biomedical research institute. While he has not yet implemented such drastic cuts, he mentioned in a recent interview that he intends to streamline the workforce at public health agencies.
“I have a list in my mind,” Kennedy stated regarding possible layoffs at the agency, asserting that certain employees had made “really poor choices” concerning nutrition policies.
The Trump administration, with support from billionaire Elon Musk, has been actively working to reduce the federal workforce as part of its cost-saving initiatives. Earlier this year, a majority of federal employees received a deferred resignation proposal that included eight months of pay. Additionally, numerous probationary employees have been terminated across various federal agencies, including HHS.
This latest effort to decrease the federal health workforce coincides with the CDC’s involvement in addressing a serious measles outbreak in West Texas and New Mexico, all while lawmakers deliberate on substantial Medicaid budget cuts.
In the email, HHS employees were advised to contact their local human resources office for guidance on how to proceed with the voluntary separation process.