United States President Donald Trump has nominated Medicare Director Chris Klomp to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), positioning the former healthcare executive as the agency’s second-highest-ranking official.
The announcement was made on Thursday, with Trump praising Klomp’s leadership abilities and expressing confidence in his capacity to manage the operations of one of the country’s largest federal agencies.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the decision to nominate Klomp was reached in consultation with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.
“HHS is a massive and complex organisation, but Chris knows exactly how to run it,” the president said.
Klomp’s appointment is subject to confirmation by the United States Senate, where his nomination will be considered alongside other pending health-related appointments before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
If confirmed, Klomp will succeed Jim O’Neill, who vacated the deputy secretary position in February during a wider restructuring of the department aimed at reshaping healthcare policy and advancing the administration’s TrumpRx initiative.
Since assuming office as Medicare Director in April 2025, Klomp has played a prominent role in implementing the administration’s healthcare agenda. He has overseen negotiations with pharmaceutical companies under the TrumpRx programme and contributed to efforts to reduce prescription drug costs through the proposed most-favoured-nation pricing policy.
Trump previously commended Klomp’s contributions during a White House event in April, describing him as “a real star” despite maintaining a relatively low public profile.
Beyond Medicare, Klomp has also been involved in key personnel appointments within HHS. He led the search process for nominees to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of the Surgeon General.
Among those nominated by the administration are public health expert Dr. Erica Schwartz for CDC Director and physician Dr. Nicole Saphier for Surgeon General, both of whom are awaiting Senate confirmation.
Klomp has also participated in the ongoing search for a new Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration following the resignation of Dr. Marty Makary in May.
