View source for United States Department of Health and Human Services

{{Short description|Department of the US federal government}}
{{Redirect|Department of Health and Human Services|government departments by that name in other jurisdictions|Department of Health and Human Services (disambiguation)}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Lead rewrite|date=April 2025}}
{{Lead too short|date=April 2025}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name     = {{wikidata|title}}
| type            = Department
| logo            = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image={{{image|{{#invoke:Wikidata|claim|P41}}}}}|size=175px|sizedefault=frameless|upright=1|alt={{wikidata|title}} flag|suppressplaceholder=yes}}
| logo_width      = 175
| logo_caption    = Flag of the US Department of Health and Human Services
| seal            = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image={{{image|{{#invoke:Wikidata|claim|P158}}}}}|size=175px|sizedefault=frameless|upright=1|alt={{wikidata|title}} seal|suppressplaceholder=yes}}
| seal_width      = 175
| seal_caption    = Seal of the US Department of Health and Human Services
| picture         = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image={{{image|{{#invoke:Wikidata|claim|P18}}}}}|size=|sizedefault=frameless|upright=1|alt={{wikidata|title}} building headquarters|suppressplaceholder=yes}}
| picture_width   =
| picture_caption = Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Department headquarters
| formed          = April 11, 1953 {{small|(as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare)}}
| preceding1      = [[Federal Security Agency]]
| preceding2      = {{wikidata|property|linked|P1365}}
| jurisdiction    = [[Federal government of the United States]]
| headquarters    = {{wikidata|qualifier|linked|P159|P276}}<br />{{wikidata|property|linked|P159}}
| employees       = {{wikidata|property|linked|edit|P1128}}
| budget          = $1.631 trillion (2022)<ref>{{cite web|title= HHS FY 2022 Budget in Brief|date= June 24, 2021|url= https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2022/index.html|access-date= January 19, 2022|archive-date= January 19, 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220119055311/https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2022/index.html|url-status= dead}}</ref>
| chief1_name     = [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]]
| chief1_position = [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|Secretary]]
| chief2_name     = [[Jim O'Neill (investor)|Jim O'Neill]]
| chief2_position = [[United States Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services|Deputy Secretary]]
| chief3_name     = Matt Buckham
| chief3_position = Chief of Staff
| website         = {{OfficialURL}}
}}
The '''United States Department of Health and Human Services''' ('''HHS''') is a [[Cabinet of the United States|cabinet-level]] [[United States federal executive departments|executive branch]] department of the [[federal government of the United States|US federal government]] created to protect the [[health]] of the US people and providing essential human services. Its [[motto]] is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hhs.gov/about/index.html |title=About HHS |publisher=US Department of Health and Human Services |access-date=November 13, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113071606/http://www.hhs.gov/about |archive-date=November 13, 2013}}</ref> Before the separate federal [[United States Department of Education|Department of Education]] was created in 1979, it was called the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW).

HHS is administered by the [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|secretary of health and human services]], who is appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the [[United States Senate]].

The [[Public Health Service Commissioned Corps|United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps]], the [[Uniformed services of the United States|uniformed service]] of the PHS, is led by the [[Surgeon General of the United States|surgeon general]] who is responsible for addressing matters concerning public health as authorized by the secretary or by the [[Assistant Secretary for Health|assistant secretary for health]] in addition to their primary mission of administering the Commissioned Corps.

==History==
<!-- Family Support Administration redirects here -->
<!-- History from 1939 to 1979 relies on historical Public Domain (copyright ineligible), Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. A Common Thread of Service: An Historical Guide to HEW. DHEW Publication No. (OS) 73-45 (July 1, 1972). Excerpted and retrieved here http://aspe.hhs.gov/info/hewhistory.htm on January 9, 2014. -->

===Federal Security Agency===
{{Main|Federal Security Agency}}

The Federal Security Agency (FSA) was established on July 1, 1939, under the [[Reorganization Act of 1939]], P.L. 76–19. The objective was to bring together in one agency all federal programs in the fields of health, education, and social security. The first Federal Security Administrator was [[Paul V. McNutt]].<ref name="autogenerated1972">{{cite web |url=http://aspe.hhs.gov/info/hewhistory.htm |title=Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. A Common Thread of Service: An Historical Guide to HEW. DHEW Publication No. (OS) 73–45 |date=July 1, 1972 |access-date=January 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20140214115034/http://aspe.hhs.gov/info/hewhistory.htm |archive-date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> The new agency originally consisted of the following major components: (1) Office of the Administrator, (2) Public Health Service (PHS), (3) Office of Education, (4) Civilian Conservation Corps, and (5) Social Security Board.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

===Department of Health, Education, and Welfare===
{{multiple image
| footer    = The seal and flag of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare until 1979
| width1     = 100
| image1    = Seal of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.svg
| alt1      = Seal of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare until 1979
| width2     = 170
| image2    = Flag of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.png
| alt2      = Flag of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare until 1979
}}
The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) was created on April 11, 1953, when Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953 became effective. HEW thus became the first new Cabinet-level department since the Department of Labor was created in 1913. The Reorganization Plan abolished the FSA and transferred all of its functions to the secretary of HEW and all components of the agency to the department. The first secretary of HEW was [[Oveta Culp Hobby]], a native of Texas, who had served as commander of the [[Women's Army Corps]] in World War II and was editor and publisher of the ''[[Houston Post]]''. Sworn in on April 11, 1953, as secretary, she had been FSA administrator since January 21, 1953.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

The six major program-operating components of the new department were the Public Health Service, the Office of Education, the [[Food and Drug Administration]], the Social Security Administration, the [[Office of Vocational Rehabilitation]], and [[St. Elizabeth's Hospital]]. The department was also responsible for three federally aided corporations: [[Howard University]], the [[American Printing House for the Blind]], and the [[Columbia Institution for the Deaf]] (Gallaudet College since 1954).<ref name="PI181">Preliminary inventory of the records of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (PI 181, Record Group 235), [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives and Records Service]], 1975.</ref>

===Department of Health and Human Services===
The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was renamed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on October 17, 1979,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t17t20+4573+0++%28%29%20%20AND%20%28%2820%29%20ADJ%20USC%29%3ACITE%20AND%20%28USC%20w%2F10%20%283508%29%29%3ACITE |title=Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Title 20, Section 3508 |publisher=house.gov |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619032627/http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t17t20+4573+0++%28%29%20%20AND%20%28%2820%29%20ADJ%20USC%29%3ACITE%20AND%20%28USC%20w%2F10%20%283508%29%29%3ACITE |archive-date=June 19, 2012 |access-date=January 7, 2012}}</ref> when its education functions were transferred to the newly created [[United States Department of Education]] under the [[Department of Education Organization Act]].<ref>[https://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/53070589 Full text of the Department of Education Organization Act]; {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507212646/https://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/53070589 |date=May 7, 2018 }}, P.L. 96-88.</ref> HHS was left in charge of the Social Security Administration, agencies constituting the Public Health Service, and Family Support Administration.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

In 1995, the [[Social Security Administration]] was removed from the Department of Health and Human Services, and established as an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States government.

The [[2010 United States federal budget]] established a reserve fund of more than $630 billion over 10 years to finance fundamental reform of the health care system.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/A_New_Era_of_Responsibility2.pdf |title=A New Era of Responsibility |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306211818/https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/A_New_Era_of_Responsibility2.pdf |archive-date=March 6, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 6, 2009}}</ref>

In February 2025 it was reported that DHHS planned to "eliminate public participation in many of the agency's policy decisions."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/01/kennedy-jr-measles-outbreak-health-department|title=Kennedy Jr backtracks and says US measles outbreak is now a 'top priority' for health department|work=The Guardian |date=March 1, 2025}}</ref>

Planned changes as part of the announced [[2025 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reorganization|2025 HHS reorganization]] include merging five existing agencies into a new [[Administration for a Healthy America]], reorienting the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] towards infectious disease programs, and breaking up the [[Administration for Community Living]].  In addition, the plan proposes a [[Layoff|reduction in workforce]] totaling about 20,000 full-time employees throughout HHS through multiple avenues, with the greatest relative reductions to the [[Food and Drug Administration]] and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which are each expected to reduce their workforce by 20%.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-03-27 |title=HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again |url=https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-restructuring-doge.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250327135807/https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/hhs-restructuring-doge.html |archive-date=March 27, 2025 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |language=en }}</ref><ref name="nyt-lay-offs2">{{Cite web |last1=Stolberg |first1=Sheryl Gay |last2=Jewett |first2=Christina |date=March 27, 2025 |title=10,000 Federal Health Workers to Be Laid Off |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/us/politics/health-department-job-layoffs-rfk-jr.html |access-date=March 27, 2025 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

== Organization ==
The Department of Health and Human Services is led by the [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services]], a member of the [[United States Cabinet]] appointed by the [[President of the United States]] with the consent of the [[United States Senate]]. The secretary is assisted in managing the department by the [[Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services]], who is also appointed by the president. The secretary and deputy secretary are further assisted by seven assistant secretaries, who serve as top departmental administrators.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

The following organizational structure is current as of the beginning of 2025.  It is planned to be significantly changed by the announced [[2025 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reorganization|2025 HHS reorganization]], which is planned to reduce the number of top-level HHS divisions from 28 to 15.<ref name=":03">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-03-27 |title=HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again |url=https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-restructuring-doge.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250327135807/https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/hhs-restructuring-doge.html |archive-date=March 27, 2025 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |language=en }}</ref>

=== U.S. Public Health Service ===
Within HHS is a collection of agencies and offices that fall under the [[United States Public Health Service|Public Health Service]]. The PHS also is home to the [[United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps|Public Health Service Commissioned Corps]] (PHSCC).  The operating agencies that are part of PHS are:<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=November 19, 2024 |title=HHS Organizational Charts Office of Secretary and Divisions |url=https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/orgchart/index.html |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services}}</ref>
* [[National Institutes of Health]] (NIH)
* [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC)
* [[Indian Health Service]] (IHS)
* [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA)
* [[Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry]] (ATSDR)
* [[Health Resources and Services Administration]] (HRSA)
* [[Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality]] (AHRQ)
* [[Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration]] (SAMHSA)
* [[Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response]] (ASPR)
* [[Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health]] (ARPA-H)
* [[Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health]] (OASH)
** Office of the [[Surgeon General of the United States|Surgeon General]]
* Office of Global Affairs

=== Human Services agencies ===
This list includes the HHS operating agencies that do not fall under PHS:<ref name=":0" />
* [[Administration for Children and Families]] (ACF)
* [[Administration for Community Living]] (ACL)
* [[Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services]] (CMS) – formerly the [[Health Care Financing Administration]].

=== Other staff offices ===
The HHS staff offices outside of PHS are:<ref name=":0" />

* Immediate Office of the Secretary
* Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs
** [[Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships|Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships]]
** Regional offices (shown below)
* Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration
** [[Federal Occupational Health]]
* Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources
* Office of the Assistant Secretary for Legislation
* Office of the [[Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation|Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation]]
* Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
* Office for Civil Rights
* Departmental Appeals Board
* Office of the General Counsel
* [[Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services|Office of Inspector General]]
* Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals
* [[Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology]]
* Chief Information Officer

{| class="wikitable"
|+ HHS IEA Regional Offices
|-
! Region !! Regional Director !! Subordinated States
|-
| Region 1 || Paul Jacobsen || Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
|-
| Region 2 || Dennis González || New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands
|-
| Region 3 || Dalton Paxtan || Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia
|-
| Region 4 || Thomas Bowman || Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee
|-
| Region 5 || Joshua Devine || Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin
|-
| Region 6 || Julia Lothrop || Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
|-
| Region 7 || Scott Conner || Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska
|-
| Region 8 || Elsa Ramirez || Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming
|-
| Region 9 || Bonnie Preston || Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,<br>Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau
|-
| Region 10 || Renée Bouvion || Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
|}
=== Former operating divisions and agencies ===
* [[Environmental Health Divisions]], made independent as [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] in 1970
* Office of Education, made independent as [[United States Department of Education|U.S. Department of Education]] in 1980
* [[Social Security Administration]], made independent in 1995

==Budget and finances==
The Department of Health and Human Services was authorized a budget for [[2020 United States federal budget|fiscal year 2020]] of $1.293 trillion. The budget authorization is broken down as follows:<ref name="hhs_budget_fy2020">{{cite web
|url=https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2020/index.html
|title=HHS FY 2020 Budget in Brief
|page=7
|website=HHS Budget & Performance
|date=October 5, 2019
|publisher=United States Department of Health and Human Services
|access-date=May 9, 2020
|archive-date=April 30, 2020
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430025942/https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2020/index.html
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Program
!Budget authority <br> (in millions)
|-
|Food and Drug Administration
|$3,329
|-
|Health Resources and Services Administration
|$11,004
|-
|Indian Health Service
|$6,104
|-
|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
|$6,767
|-
|National Institutes of Health
|$33,669
|-
|Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
|$5,535
|-
|Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
|$0
|-
|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
|$1,169,091
|-
|Administration for Children and Families
|$52,121
|-
|Administration for Community Living
|$1,997
|-
|Departmental Management
|$340
|-
|Non-Recurring Expense Fund
|$-400
|-
|Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals
|$186
|-
|Office of the National Coordinator
|$43
|-
|Office for Civil Rights
|$30
|-
|Office of Inspector General
|$82
|-
|Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund
|$2,667
|-
|Program Support Center
|$749
|-
|Offsetting Collections
|$-629
|-
|Other Collections
|$-163
|-
|'''TOTAL'''
|'''$1,292,523'''
|}

The FY2020 budget included a $1.276 billion budget decrease for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a $4.533 billion budget decrease for the National Institutes of Health.  These budget cuts, along with other changes since 2019, comprised a total decrease of over $24 billion in revised discretionary budget authority across the entire Department of Health and Human Services for Fiscal Year 2020.<ref name="hhs_budget_fy2020"/>

Additional details of the budgeted outlays, budget authority, and detailed budgets for other years, can be found at the HHS Budget website.<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2026/index.html|title=Health and Human Services: Budget and Performance|publisher=United States Department of Health and Human Services|access-date=May 9, 2020}}</ref>

== Programs ==
The Department of Health and Human Services administers 115 programs across its 11 operating divisions.<ref>[https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2026/index.html Budget and Performance] . HHS.gov. Retrieved on April 15, 2014.</ref> The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aims to "protect the health of all Americans and provide essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/programs/index.html/|title=Programs & Services|first=Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs|last=(ASPA)|date=January 29, 2015|website=HHS.gov|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171227/https://www.hhs.gov/programs/index.html/|archive-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref> These federal programs consist of social service programs, [[civil rights]] and healthcare privacy programs, disaster preparedness programs, and health-related research. HHS offers a variety of social service programs geared toward persons with low income, [[Disability|disabilities]], military families, and senior citizens.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/programs/social-services/index.html|title=Social Services|last1=Digital Communications Division |last2=Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs|date=February 26, 2015|website=hhs.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171843/https://www.hhs.gov/programs/social-services/index.html/|archive-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref>  Healthcare rights are defined under HHS in the [[Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act]] ([[Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act|HIPAA]]) which protect patient's privacy in regards to medical information, protects workers health insurance when unemployed, and sets guidelines surrounding some health insurance. HHS collaborates with the [[Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response]] and [[Office of Emergency Management]] to prepare and respond to health emergencies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phe.gov/preparedness/pages/default.aspx|title=Preparedness Home – PHE|website=www.phe.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919180351/https://www.phe.gov/preparedness/pages/default.aspx|archive-date=September 19, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.phe.gov/about/oem/Pages/default.aspx|title=Office of Emergency Management – PHE|website=www.phe.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907170623/https://www.phe.gov/about/oem/Pages/default.aspx|archive-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref> A broad array of health-related research is supported or completed under the HHS; secondarily under HHS, the [[Health Resources & Services Administration|Health Resources & Service Administration]] houses data warehouses and makes health data available surrounding a multitude of topics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/programs/research/index.html/|title=Research|last1=Digital Communications Division |last2=Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs|date=February 26, 2015|website=hhs.gov|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171754/https://www.hhs.gov/programs/research/index.html/|archive-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.healthdata.gov/content/about/|title=HealthData.gov|website=www.healthdata.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917214008/https://www.healthdata.gov/content/about|archive-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref> HHS also has vast offering of health-related resources and tools to help educate the public on health policies and pertinent [[population health]] information. Some examples of available resources include [[Preventive healthcare|disease prevention]], wellness, health insurance information, as well as links to healthcare providers and facilities, meaningful health-related materials, [[public health]], and safety information.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/programs/index.html|title=Programs & Services|first=Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs|last=(ASPA)|date=January 29, 2015|website=HHS.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171227/https://www.hhs.gov/programs/index.html/|archive-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/programs/prevention-and-wellness/index.html|title=Prevention & Wellness|last1=Digital Communications Division |last2=Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs|date=February 26, 2015|website=hhs.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171855/https://www.hhs.gov/programs/prevention-and-wellness/index.html|archive-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/programs/health-insurance/index.html|title=Health Insurance|last1=Digital Communications Division |last2=Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs|date=February 26, 2015|website=hhs.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171832/https://www.hhs.gov/programs/health-insurance/index.html|archive-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/programs/providers-and-facilities/index.html|title=Providers & Facilities|last1=Digital Communications Division |last2=Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs|date=April 9, 2015|website=hhs.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171521/https://www.hhs.gov/programs/providers-and-facilities/index.html|archive-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/programs/topic-sites/index.html|title=Featured Topic Sites|last1=Digital Communications Division |last2=Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs|date=March 3, 2015|website=hhs.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171352/https://www.hhs.gov/programs/topic-sites/index.html|archive-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/programs/public-health-safety/index.html|title=Public Health & Safety|last1=Digital Communications Division |last2=Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs|date=February 26, 2015|website=hhs.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171651/https://www.hhs.gov/programs/public-health-safety/index.html|archive-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref>

Some highlights include:
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Artificial intelligence in healthcare|AI in health]] and social science research
* Preventing disease, including immunization services
* [[ARPA-H]]
* Assuring food and drug safety
* [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] (health insurance for elderly and disabled Americans) and [[Medicaid]] (health insurance for low-income people)
* Health information technology
* Financial assistance and services for low-income families
* Improving maternal and infant health, including a Nurse Home Visitation to support first-time mothers
* [[Head Start Program|Head Start]] (pre-school education and services)
* Faith-based and community initiatives
* Preventing child abuse and domestic violence
* Substance abuse treatment and prevention
* Services for older Americans, including home-delivered meals
* Comprehensive health services for Native Americans
* [[Assets for independence|Assets for Independence]]
* Medical preparedness for emergencies, including potential terrorism
* Child support enforcement<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/css|title=Home – Office of Child Support Enforcement – Administration for Children and Families|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818024924/http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/css|archive-date=August 18, 2015}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

=== The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ===
This program is to ensure the accountability of medical professionals to respect and carry out basic human health rights, under the act of the same name. In the United States, the government feels that it is essential for the American people to understand their civil duty and rights to all of their medical information. That includes health insurance policies or medical records from every doctor or emergency visit in one's life. Through Health & Human Services one can file a complaint that their HIPAA rights have been violated or a consultant will be able to decide if their rights were violated.

=== Social Services ===
This branch has everything to do with the social justice, wellness, and care of all people throughout the United States. This includes but is not limited to people who need government assistance, foster care, unaccompanied alien children, daycares (headstart included), adoption, senior citizens, and disability programs. Social services is one of (if not) the largest branch of programs underneath it that has a wide variety throughout the United States at a state and local level.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

=== Prevention and Wellness ===
The prevention and wellness program's main idea is to give the American people the ability to live the healthiest and best lifestyle physically that they can. They are the ones who deal with vaccines and immunizations, which fight from common diseases to deadly ones. The nutrition & fitness program are the basics of healthy eating and regular exercise. Health screenings & family health history are crucial in the knowledge of each individual's health and body. A severely important one especially in today's society is mental health and substance use where they help people with mental illness and drug abuse. Lastly, they help with environmental health where people are researching and studying how our environments both physical and metaphorical have short- and long-term effects on our health and wellness.

===Strengthening Communities Fund===
In June 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services created the Strengthening Communities Fund<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/scf/index.html|title=Strengthening Communities Fund|website=US Department of Health and Human Services|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201132331/http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/scf/index.html|archive-date=February 1, 2013}}</ref> as part of the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act]]. The fund was appropriated $50 million to be given as grants to organizations in the United States that were engaged in Capacity Building programs. The grants were given to two different types of capacity builders:
* State, Local, and Tribal governments engaged in capacity building: grants will go to state local, and tribal governments to equip them with the capacity to more effectively partner with faith-based or non-faith-based non-profit organizations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/recovery/reports/plans/pdf20100610/ACF%20SCF%20June%202010.pdf|title=Strengthening Communities Fund: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Implementation Plan|date=May 24, 2010|website=US Department of Health and Human Services|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116165125/http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/reports/plans/pdf20100610/ACF%20SCF%20June%202010.pdf|archive-date=January 16, 2013}}</ref> Capacity building in this program will involve education and outreach that catalyzes more involvement of non-profit organizations in economic recovery and building up non-profit organization's abilities to tackle economic problems. State, Local, and Tribal governments can receive up to $250,000 in two-year grants
* [[Non-profit]] Social Service Providers engaged in capacity building: they will make grants available to non-profit organizations that can assist other non-profit organizations in organizational development, program development, leadership, and evaluations. Non-profits can receive up to $1 million in two-year grants

=== Biodefense ===
HHS plays a role in protecting the United States against [[bioterrorism]] events. In 2018, HHS released a new National Biodefense Strategy required by the passage of the [[National Biodefense Strategy Act of 2016|2016 Biodefense Strategy Act]]. The Biodefense Strategy required the implementation of a biodefense strategy after a 2015 [[Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense]] report found that the 2009 National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats was inadequate in protecting the U.S. The strategy adopted these five central recommendations: creating a single centralized approach to biodefense; implementing an interdisciplinary approach to biodefense that brings together policymakers, scientists, health experts, and academics; drawing up a comprehensive strategy to address human, plant, and animal health; creating a defense against global and domestic biological threats; and creating a proactive policy to combat the misuse and abuse of advanced biotechnology.<ref name="pandorareport.org">{{cite web|url=https://pandorareport.org/2018/10/04/a-multi-disciplinary-approach-to-multi-disciplinary-threats/|title=A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Multi-Disciplinary Threats|date=October 4, 2018|website=The Pandora Report|language=en|first1=Janet|last1=Marroquin|access-date=December 31, 2018|archive-date=January 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101002919/https://pandorareport.org/2018/10/04/a-multi-disciplinary-approach-to-multi-disciplinary-threats/|url-status=live}}</ref>

HHS also runs the Biodefense Steering Committee, which works with other federal agencies including the [[U.S. Department of State]], [[U.S. Department of Defense]], [[U.S. Food and Drug Administration]], [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]] (DHS), and the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]].<ref name="pandorareport.org"/> HHS specifically oversees [[Project BioShield]], established in 2003 and operating since 2004, and its development and production of vaccines.

== Criticisms and controversies ==
{{see also|Criticism of the United States government#Criticism of agencies}}

In 2016, a published US Senate report revealed that several dozen [[2014 American immigration crisis|unaccompanied children from Central America]], some as young as 14 years old, were released from custody to traffickers where they were sexually assaulted, starved, or forced to work for little or no pay.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://time.com/5256734/government-missing-migrant-children/|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20180528052324/http://time.com/5256734/government-missing-migrant-children/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 28, 2018|title=Almost 1,500 Migrant Children Placed in Homes by the U.S. Government Went Missing Last Year|magazine=Time|language=en |date=April 26, 2018 |first1=Garnace |last1=Burke  |access-date=May 26, 2018}}</ref> The HHS sub agency [[Office of Refugee Resettlement]] (ORR) released approximately 90,000 unaccompanied children during 2013–2015 but did not track their whereabouts or properly screen families accepting these children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/29/us/politics/us-placed-immigrant-children-with-traffickers-report-says.html|title=U.S. Placed Immigrant Children With Traffickers, Report Says|date=January 28, 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 26, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|first1=Emmarie|last1=Huetteman|archive-date=May 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526211401/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/29/us/politics/us-placed-immigrant-children-with-traffickers-report-says.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

To prevent similar episodes, the Homeland Security and Health & Human Services Departments signed a memorandum of understanding in 2016 and agreed to establish joint procedures within one year for dealing with unaccompanied migrant children. As of 2018, they have failed to do so. Between October and December 2017, officials from ORR tried to contact 7,635 children and their sponsors. From these calls, officials learned that 6,075 children remained with their sponsors. Twenty-eight had run away, five had been removed from the United States and fifty-two had relocated to live with a nonsponsor. However, officials have lost track of 1,475 children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/26/us/politics/migrant-children-missing.html|title=Federal Agencies Lost Track of Nearly 1,500 Migrant Children Placed With Sponsors|date=April 26, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 26, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331 |first1=Ron |last1=Nixon }}</ref> ORR claims it is not legally liable for the safety and status of the children once released from custody.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/26/politics/hhs-lost-track-1500-immigrant-children/index.html|title=US lost track of 1,500 immigrant children, but says it's not 'legally responsible'|first=Dakin|last=Andone|work=CNN|date=May 28, 2018|access-date=May 26, 2018|archive-date=May 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526231311/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/26/politics/hhs-lost-track-1500-immigrant-children/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

HHS is evidenced to be actively coercing and forcing substances such as [[antipsychotic]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/immigrant-shelters-drug-traumatized-teenagers-without-consent|title=Immigrant Shelters Drug Traumatized Teenagers Without Consent|first=Jess Ramirez|last=Caroline Chen|date=July 20, 2018|website=ProPublica|access-date=March 7, 2019|archive-date=March 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111753/https://www.propublica.org/article/immigrant-shelters-drug-traumatized-teenagers-without-consent|url-status=live}}</ref> on migrating children without consent, and under questionable medical supervision. Medical professionals state that wrongly prescribed antipsychotics are especially dangerous for children, and can cause permanent psychological damage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/migrant-children-forcibly-drugged-abused-in-us-government-detention-2018-6 |date=Jun 21, 2018 |title=Migrant children say they've been forcibly drugged, handcuffed, and abused in US government detention|first=Tara Francis|last=Chan|website=Business Insider|access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref> Medical professionals also state DHS and HHS incarceration and separation policies are likewise causing irreparable mental harm to the children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/family-secrets/201807/children-separated-parents |date=July 9, 2018 |first1=Ana |last1=Nogales |title=Children Separated From Parents|website=Psychology Today|access-date=March 7, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240404220156/https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/family-secrets/201807/children-separated-parents |archive-date= 4 April 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/06/15/620254326/doctors-warn-about-dangers-of-child-separations |date=June 15, 2018 |first1=Joel |last1=Rose |title=Doctors Concerned About 'Irreparable Harm' To Separated Migrant Children |website=NPR |access-date=March 7, 2019 |archive-date=March 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190315124831/https://www.npr.org/2018/06/15/620254326/doctors-warn-about-dangers-of-child-separations |url-status=live }}</ref>

Children are also dying in HHS custody.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/5e470e143dcc47bface2354d1a2e4719|title=Deaths of 2 children raise doubts about US border agency|first=Nomaan|last=Merchant|date=December 27, 2018|website=AP NEWS|access-date=March 7, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308080803/https://apnews.com/5e470e143dcc47bface2354d1a2e4719 |archive-date= Mar 8, 2019 }}</ref> The forced drugging, deaths, and disappearances of migrating Mexican and Central American children might be related to DHS falsely labeling them and their families as 'terror threats' before HHS manages their incarcerations. Despite a federal court order,<ref>{{Cite news |url-access=subscription |date=2018-06-27 |title=Opinion {{!}} A judge says Trump's family separation policy 'shocks the conscience.' We agree. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-judge-says-trumps-family-separation-policy-shocks-the-conscience-we-agree/2018/06/27/438860c4-7a28-11e8-aeee-4d04c8ac6158_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207155300/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-judge-says-trumps-family-separation-policy-shocks-the-conscience-we-agree/2018/06/27/438860c4-7a28-11e8-aeee-4d04c8ac6158_story.html |archive-date= Dec 7, 2022 }}</ref> the DHS separation practices started by Obama<ref>{{Cite web |last=Budryk |first=Zack |date=2019-09-13 |title=Biden incorrectly claims Obama administration didn't separate families |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/461230-biden-incorrectly-claims-obama-administration-didnt-separate-families/ |website=The Hill |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819144318/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/461230-biden-incorrectly-claims-obama-administration-didnt-separate-families/ |archive-date= Aug 19, 2023 }}</ref> and mandated by the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-announces-zero-tolerance-policy-criminal-illegal-entry|title=Attorney General Announces Zero-Tolerance Policy for Criminal Illegal Entry|date=April 6, 2018|website=Office of Public Affairs, Department of Justice|access-date=March 7, 2019|archive-date=November 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124150530/https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-announces-zero-tolerance-policy-criminal-illegal-entry|url-status=live}}</ref> have not been halted, and HHS has not stopped forcing drugs on the children it incarcerates.

In August 2022, the Office of the Inspector General for Health and Human Services reported that NIH had failed in its oversight of clinical trials, with slightly over half of sample trial results either being tardy for publication or remaining unpublished on ClinicalTrials.gov after several years from the stated completion dates.<ref>{{cite web |title=The National Institutes of Health Did Not Ensure That All Clinical Trial Results Were Reported in Accordance With Federal Requirements |url=https://oig.hhs.gov/reports/all/2022/the-national-institutes-of-health-did-not-ensure-that-all-clinical-trial-results-were-reported-in-accordance-with-federal-requirements/ |access-date=August 21, 2022 |website=oig.hhs.gov |date=August 12, 2022 |language=English |archive-date=August 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824165308/https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region6/62107000.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Freedom of Information Act processing performance===
In the latest [[Center for Effective Government]] analysis of 15 federal agencies which receive the most [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|Freedom of Information Act]] (FOIA) requests published in 2015 (using 2012 and 2013 data, the most recent years available), the DHHS ranked second to last, earning an F by scoring 57 out of a possible 100 points, largely due to a low score on its particular disclosure rules. It had deteriorated from a D− in 2013.<ref>[http://www.foreffectivegov.org/access-to-information-scorecard-2015/ Making the Grade: Access to Information Scorecard 2015] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313194455/http://www.foreffectivegov.org/access-to-information-scorecard-2015/ |date=March 13, 2016 }} March 2015, 80 pages, [[Center for Effective Government]], retrieved March 21, 2016.</ref>

== Related legislation ==<!-- This section is linked from [[List of United States federal legislation]] -->
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2020}}
{{update section|date=June 2023}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* 1946: [[Hospital Survey and Construction Act]] ([[Hill-Burton Act]]) PL 79-725
* 1949:  Hospital Construction Act PL 81-380
* 1950:  Public Health Services Act Amendments PL 81-692
* 1955:  Poliomyelitis Vaccination Assistance Act PL 84-377
* 1956:  Health Research Facilities Act PL 84-835
* 1960:  Social Security Amendments (Kerr-Mill aid) PL 86-778
* 1961: [[Community Health Services and Facilities Act]] PL 87-395
* 1962: [[Public Health Service Act]] PL 87-838
* 1962:  Vaccination Assistance PL 87-868
* 1963:  Mental Retardation Facilities Construction Act/Community Mental Health Centers Act PL 88-164
* 1964:  Nurse Training Act PL 88-581
* 1965: [[Community Health Services and Facilities Act]] PL 89-109
* 1965:  [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare section of the Social Security Act]] PL 89-97
* 1965:  Mental Health Centers Act Amendments PL 89-105
* 1965:  Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke Amendments PL 89-239
* 1966:  Comprehensive Health Planning and Service Act PL 89-749
* 1970:  Community Mental Health Service Act PL 91-211
* 1970: [[Family Planning Services and Population Research Act]] PL 91-572
* 1970:  Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act PL 91-695
* 1971: [[National Cancer Act]] PL 92-218
* 1974:  Research on Aging Act PL 93-296
* 1974: [[National Health Planning and Resources Development Act]] PL 93-641
* 1979: [[Department of Education Organization Act]] (removed education functions) PL 96-88
* 1987:  Department of Transportation Appropriations Act PL 100-202
* 1988: [[Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act]] PL 100-360
* 1989:  Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act PL 101-164
* 1996: [[Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act]] PL 104-191
* 2000: [[Child Abuse Reform and Enforcement Act]] PL 106-177
* 2010: [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]] PL 111-148
* 2016: [[21st Century Cures Act]] PL 114-255
* 2020: [[Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020|Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act]] PL 116-123
* 2020: [[Families First Coronavirus Response Act]] PL 116-127
* 2020: [[Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act]] PL 116-136
* 2020: [[Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act]] PL 116-139
* 2021: [[Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021|Consolidated Appropriations Act]] PL 116-260
* 2021: [[American Rescue Plan Act]] PL 117-2
* 2022: [[Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022|Consolidated Appropriations Act]] PL 117-103
* 2022: [[Inflation Reduction Act]] PL 117-169
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|United States|Medicine}}
<!-- New links in alphabetical order please -->
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act]] (ARRA)
* [[Early Head Start]]
* [[Emergency Care Coordination Center]]
* [[Global Health Security Initiative]]
* [[Head Start Program|Head Start]]
* [[Health information technology]]
* [[Health professional]]
* [[Healthy People program]]
* [[History of public health in the United States]]
* [[Human experimentation in the United States]]
* [[Rural health]]
* [[Supporting Healthy Marriage Project]]
* [[Temporary EHR Certification Program]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|United States Department of Health and Human Services}}
{{scholia|organization}}
* {{official website}}
* [https://www.usaspending.gov/agency/department-of-health-and-human-services Department of Health and Human Services] on [[Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006|USAspending.gov]]
* [https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department Department of Health and Human Services] in the ''[[Federal Register]]''
* [https://www.gao.gov/agencies/department-health-and-human-services Department of Health and Human Services] reports and recommendations from the [[Government Accountability Office]]
* [https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/235.html General Records of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare] from the [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]]

{{United States Department of Health and Human Services}}
{{United States federal executive departments}}
{{Dwight D. Eisenhower}}
{{Presidency of Jimmy Carter}}
{{Health departments in the United States}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:United States Department Of Health And Human Services}}
[[Category:United States Department of Health and Human Services| ]]
[[Category:1953 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1953]]
[[Category:Health departments in the United States]]
[[Category:United States federal executive departments|Health]]
[[Category:Ministries of health|United States]]