The “department of government efficiency”, the Donald Trump-created program known as Doge and headed by the billionaire Elon Musk, has accessed or requested access to sensitive systems at multiple health agencies as the US president attempts to grant the committee sweeping powers within the federal government.
Staff at some health agencies, including HHS and CDC, report being instructed not to talk about Doge in internal emails and messages, for fear of attracting attention through Freedom of Information Act (Foia) requests or searches from those who have gained access to these systems.
“The possibility of new outbreaks or public health events is certain given the recent concerning spread of bird flu, which is still hampered by a slow response,” said an employee at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.
Musk, the unpaid “special government employee” heading up Doge, appeared to confirm the CMS access and the search for potential fraud in Medicare payment systems: “Yeah, this is where the big money fraud is happening,” he alleged on X on 5 February.
Doge representatives have also sought access to the HHS payment systems that process billions of dollars in healthcare funding, and seem to have gained access to at least some of them, the Washington Post reports.
