RFK Jr. is gutting minority health offices across HHS that are key to reducing health disparities

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s overhaul of the Department of Health and Human Services involves deep cuts to several divisions that help protect and improve the health of minority and underserved populations.

Kennedy 's cuts have hit at least seven minority health offices across HHS , which in many cases laid off most or all of their workers, including directors, people familiar with the matter say.

Health policy experts say deep cuts could widen existing disparities in access to insurance and care in the U.S. , undoing years of progress toward addressing them.

All 40 staff members at CMS Office of Minority Health were laid off, according to the people.

Nearly all staff at CDC 's Office of Minorities Health were cut, people said.

Future of HRSA 's office of Health Equity is unclear, apart from the Trump administration's plans to fold HRSA into Kennedy 's new agency.

Roughly a third of staff are gone at NIMHD , though it's unclear how many staff were impacted.

"Philanthropy is not able to step up at this level long term," Ettinger De Cuba said.

The cuts will "degrade any effort of these larger governmental organizations to have any accountability when it comes to protecting the people they help and serve every day ," he said.