HHS Secretary RFK Jr. touts primary care, agency reforms and restructuring to Make America Healthy Again

Primary care will be part of the fight against a chronic disease epidemic plaguing the nation, according to plans of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under President Donald Trump.

On May 14, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified about the department’s fiscal year budget before the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. The White House has published a budget request with approximately $93.8 billion for HHS, down 26.2% from the fiscal year 2025 budget.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
_{© U.S. Department of Health and Human Services}

“The mission of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or Department) is to enhance and protect the health and well-being of the American people,” said the start of Kennedy’s written testimony.

“President Trump and all of us at HHS take that charge seriously,” he said. “So, when a program is not as effective as it can be, or costs more than it ought to, or fails to deliver on its promise — change and reform are necessary.”

Kennedy outlined a four-point plan devoted to the initiative to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), with a presidential commission devoted to that. His written testimony and his opening statement to the committee included specific mentions of primary care, under a new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA).

Primary care

Kennedy did not offer specific details about primary care research or practical effects in examination rooms around the country. But he did mention primary care specifically in his written testimony.

“Under the president’s executive order to establish the Make America Healthy Again Commission, I am committed to investigating any potential root causes of the chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy said about primary care in his written testimony. “As part of AHA, programs related to primary care will be streamlined, and focused on needs of all Americans no matter where they may live and at what income level. The budget and the transformation at HHS support these efforts and ensures that primary care includes prevention and addresses the root causes of chronic disease.”

Restructuring HHS

Restructuring HHS will serve at least four goals for MAHA, Kennedy said in his written testimony.

Save $1.8 billion a year by reducing the workforce, starting in fiscal year 2026. “Our reductions have focused on aligning HHS staffing levels to reflect the size of HHS prior to the COVID-19 pandemic which saw around a 15 percent increase in the number of employees,” Kennedy said.

HHS will be streamlined from 28 divisions with “many redundant units,” to 15 newn divisions, including the AHA. There will be five regional offices, down from 10; HHS will have approximately 62,000 workers. Core functions such as human resources, information technology, procurement, external affairs and policy will be consolidated. HHS will aim to end the “epidemic of chronic illness by focusing on safe, wholesome food, clean water, and the elimination of environmental toxins.”

HHS will be more responsive and efficient while ensuring Medicare, Medicaid and other essential health services remain intact.”

The new AHA

Kennedy’s written testimony noted several points about American health care at large, calling the nation’s overall health “in a grievous condition.” More than 70% of adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese; diabetes has skyrocketed since 1960; cancer rates are rising among people aged 50 years and younger. At the same time, the nation spent $4.9 trillion on health care in 2024, almost 17.6% of the nation’s gross domestic product, and far more than other developed nations.

AHA will address this situation, Kennedy said.

“It is my vision for this new agency to better coordinate programs targeted to improve chronic care, disease prevention, and other health resources,” he said. In that part of his written testimony, Kennedy addressed the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, mental health and substance use, primary care and the Head Start childcare program.

Agency duties

Kennedy said the Food and Drug Administration will work to identify harmful food ingredients and make the nation’s food supply safer.

As for the National Institutes of Health, the budget includes $27.5 billion for “a rebalancing that will focus on essential research at a more practical cost and invest in security infrastructure.”

“We will focus only on Gold Standard science at NIH and across HHS, increasing transparency for research done there,” Kennedy said.

“NIH has broken the trust of the American people with wasteful spending, misleading information, risky research, and the promotion of dangerous ideologies that undermine public health,” he said. “The administration is committed to restoring accountability, public trust, and transparency at the NIH.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will focus “on core activities such as emerging and infectious disease surveillance, outbreak investigations, and maintaining the nation’s public health infrastructure, while streamlining programs and eliminating waste.”

“The budget proposes merging multiple programs into one grant program that will address sexually transmitted diseases, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis giving States more flexibility to address local needs,” Kennedy said.

The Indian Health Service provides health care for more than 2.2 million eligible American Indians and Alaska Natives. It will remain a priority for the administration, Kennedy said.

“The president’s 2026 budget for HHS recognizes the importance of focusing government spending on programs that work and reforming our nation’s healthcare programs for a fast- changing world,” Kennedy’s written testimony said. “This budget recognizes that securing America’s future demands sound fiscal management and responsible decisions about our priorities. If we are serious about fulfilling HHS’s mission of enhancing and protecting the well-being of all Americans, we must adopt the bold innovation and direction espoused by the president’s budget to Make America Healthy Again.”