Experts warn AHRQ teeters on collapse after massive cuts under Trump

In a commentary published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, health policy experts Aaron Carroll and David Atkins contend that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is on the brink of collapse after the Trump administration slashed its workforce by three-quarters and cancelled the majority of its research grants. The agency, historically tasked with improving patient safety, quality of care, and health-service delivery, saw roughly 150 grant recipients notified in July that their funding—over 100 awards totaling more than $250 million—was being withdrawn.

Despite a congressional appropriation of $345 million for the 2026 fiscal year, only $15 million has been allocated to new grants, leaving much of the money unspent. Researchers across more than 30 states have halted investigations, dismissed personnel, and closed programs as a result. Carroll and Atkins lament the loss of a pipeline for training the next generation of health services researchers and call on Congress to intervene to restore the agency’s capacity.