RFK Jr. shakes up top health department staff

• O'Neill was not only the second-ranking official at the Department of Health and Human Services, but also the acting director of the CDC.

Driving the news: The staff shuffle will effectively make the current Medicare director Chris Klomp chief of staff under Kennedy, overseeing all of the department's operations.

• Klomp will continue to serve as the director of Medicare, the department said in a Thursday news release.
• Klomp led President Trump's price negotiations with leading drugmakers and also oversaw efforts to address rising costs in Medicare Advantage.
• The changes will also elevate deputy FDA commissioners Kyle Diamantas and Grace Graham to senior counselors at the agency.

Between the lines: Klomp's promotion elevates a top official under Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is generally viewed as the most stable and effective part of the department.

• O'Neill, meanwhile, had leaned harder into the world of Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement.

HHS did not immediately respond to a request for further comment or to questions over who will step in as acting director of CDC.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional context about the changes.