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This is a MedPage Today story. Of five major HHS agency offices focused on health equity, only one has taken down its website amid President Trump’s executive orders to end federal government diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. The FDA’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity website has been taken down, though it remained live as recently as last Thursday. Websites remain live for the following agencies:HHS Office of Minority HealthCMS Office of Minority HealthNIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)CDC Office of Health Equity The website for the Health Resources & Services Administration’s (HRSA) Office of Health Equity has also been taken down. However, it’s not clear if the executive orders pertain only to DEIA initiatives focused on the federal health workforce, or if also to those agencies’ initiatives to improve health equity in the general population. If it doesn’t pertain to public-facing programs, it’s…

This is a MedPage Today story. President Trump said he would take health agencies in a new direction on the campaign trail and has chosen some controversial nominees to help him achieve his goal, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick for HHS secretary. However, it remains unclear how much could actually change if Kennedy were to be confirmed. To answer that question, MedPage Today spoke with legal experts, former CMS and White House officials, and others who worked alongside health agencies to gauge the potential for substantial reforms across HHS and its sub-agencies. Can Kennedy Terminate Employees at FDA, Other Agencies? In October, Kennedy posted on X that "FDA’s war on public health is about to end." He criticized the agency’s "aggressive suppression" of a number of unproven therapies, including ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, and warned, "If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack…

This is a MedPage Today story. As President Donald Trump’s picks to lead federal health agencies await confirmation hearings, there are now acting directors in place at HHS and its key sub-agencies. Here is what is known about who is currently running the show at these sprawling and influential entities. HHS Acting Secretary: Dorothy Fink, MD Fink is deputy assistant secretary for women’s health and director of the Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at HHS. She is board certified in endocrinology, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Soon after her appointment as acting secretary, she told agency staff leaders in a memo that an "immediate pause" had been ordered on communications, such as regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts, and website posts, until they had been approved by a political appointee. In a subsequent statement issued this week, Fink noted that the Office for Civil Rights at HHS would…

This is a MedPage Today story. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s statements before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday revealed a concerning lack of knowledge about the major health programs he’d oversee, should he be confirmed as HHS secretary. On several occasions during the 3.5-hour hearing, Kennedy seemed to conflate Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage, and appeared to mistakenly refer to the Affordable Care Act health exchanges. "Medicaid is not working for Americans, and it’s specifically not working for the target population," he said in response to questions from Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), a physician, who asked him in what ways he would improve the healthcare delivery system. "I’m on Medicare Advantage and I’m very happy with it," Kennedy replied. "Most people who are on Medicaid are not happy. The premiums are too high, the deductibles are too high, the networks are narrow." In fact, Medicaid plans generally do not have premiums, or if they do, under federal law…