Feb 20, 2025 Story by: Editor
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has voiced her distress over the recent layoffs within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“This is so heartbreaking to me and to other leaders, and I am so upset about just the way some of my former staff are being treated at this moment,” Brooks-LaSure stated. She emphasized that these layoffs are not only unfair to the affected employees but also pose a significant threat to the U.S. economy.
Addressing reports of staff reductions within CMS, Brooks-LaSure acknowledged that while media coverage has highlighted cuts in a few specific offices, the impact is far more extensive. “Certainly, there are reports of cuts to a couple of offices, but what is my understanding is that those cuts were more broad than just those two offices. Those are just what’s being reported in the news, and there needs to be more transparency,” she said.
She further explained the interconnected nature of CMS, stressing that the agency cannot function effectively if staff reductions are made indiscriminately. “CMS is a very interwoven agency. You can’t just say one center works on Medicaid or one center works on Medicare. There are many offices that work on Medicare and Medicaid and make sure that people get their claims,” Brooks-LaSure noted.
Criticizing the decision to terminate employees based on their temporary status without considering their roles, she warned of the potential consequences. “Indiscriminately firing people based on their status being temporary without regard to what they do is incredibly damaging,” she asserted.
Her remarks highlight growing concerns over the broader impact of these layoffs, particularly on healthcare services and the stability of CMS operations.
Source: Politico
