Most of the 80,000 federal workers in the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) were emailed an offer to leave their jobs for (up to) a $25,000 payment, as part of President Trump’s government cuts. The mass email was sent to staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, both in Maryland.
Federal employees cannot start opting in until Monday and have until 5 pm on Friday, March 14, to submit a response to the voluntary separation offer. Most federal employees received a deferred resignation offer this past January that came with eight months of pay. Thousands of probationary employees, too, have been fired across federal agencies, including at HHS. (Our article on Trump buyouts looks at this further).
The HHS has an annual budget of about $1.7 trillion that is mainly spent on healthcare coverage for millions of people enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. According to Data.CMS.gov, Medicare currently serves 68.2 million people, while Medicaid provides coverage to over one in five people living in the U.S., or around 70 million enrollees.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
In an interview last month, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s new health secretary, hinted at plans for deep cuts to the staff. In 2024, he promised to immediately clear out 600 employees at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s biomedical research arm. “I have a list in my head,” Kennedy said, as reported by the Associated Press, “of potential firings at the agency. He said some workers “made really bad decisions” on nutrition guidelines.
These cuts come at a time when the CDC is assisting with a measles outbreak in West Texas and New Mexico and as lawmakers are debating deep cuts to Medicaid in the federal budget. Since taking office, the Trump administration, with the help of DOGE, has been trying to cut federal workers in what it says is an effort to cut costs, fraud and waste.
As of Sunday, March 9, there was no immediate comment from HHS. In the email, HHS workers are directed to contact their local human resources office to submit for the voluntary separation.
Related Content
-
3M, GM, Blue Chips Lead to the Upside: Stock Market TodayThe S&P 500 followed the Dow Jones Industrial Average into green territory, but the Nasdaq lagged the other indexes because of its tech exposure.
-
Social Security Payment Schedule for 2026Find out when you can expect your 2026 Social Security payments and the date you get paid when your scheduled day falls on a holiday.
-
Social Security Payment Schedule for 2026
Find out when you can expect your 2026 Social Security payments and the date you get paid when your scheduled day falls on a holiday.
-
Ready to File? Test Your Social Security Application IQQuiz Test your basic knowledge of filing for Social Security benefits in our 10 question quick quiz.
-
The 10 Most Costly Social Security Mistakes to AvoidWant to maximize your Social Security check? Learn the 10 most common Social Security filing errors and the steps you need to take to boost your guaranteed retirement income.
-
Dave Ramsey Tells Us the Biggest Retirement Mistake You Can MakeThe talk-show host, author and podcaster tells Kiplinger what people can do to ensure a happy retirement.
-
I'm a Wealth Adviser: These Are the Pros and Cons of Alternative Investments in Workplace Retirement AccountsWhile alternatives offer diversification and higher potential returns, including them in your workplace retirement plan would require careful consideration.
-
I Have to Take a $22,000 RMD by the End of the Year, and I Don't Need the Money. What Should I Do With It?We ask financial experts for advice.
-
I'm a Financial Planner: If You're Within 10 Years of Retiring, Do This TodayDon't want to run out of money in retirement? You need a retirement plan that accounts for income, market risk, taxes and more. Don't regret putting it off.
-
Five Keys to Retirement Happiness That Have Nothing to Do With MoneyConsider how your housing needs will change, what you'll do with your time, maintaining social connections and keeping mentally and physically fit.
