Oversees Medicare, Medicaid, public health, and biomedical research — once combined with what is now a separate Department of Education.
HHS runs the federal government’s major health and human-services programs: Medicare and Medicaid, the CDC’s public health work, FDA food and drug safety, NIH biomedical research, and family and child welfare programs. Most people encounter it through Medicare, a food or drug recall, or CDC health guidance.
HHS is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.
HHS mission statement
What It Does
HHS was created in 1953 as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) — a single department covering health, education, and social-welfare programs together. Congress split education into its own Cabinet department in 1979, and the remaining department was renamed Health and Human Services.
Administers Medicare and Medicaid
CMS runs the federal health insurance programs covering seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income Americans.
Tracks public health
The CDC monitors disease outbreaks, issues health guidance, and runs vaccination and prevention programs.
Regulates food and drug safety
The FDA approves drugs and medical devices and sets food safety standards.
Funds biomedical research
NIH funds and conducts medical research across nearly every disease area.
How It Fits Into Government
Split into two departments in 1979
HEW combined health, education, and welfare programs under one Secretary from 1953 to 1979, when Congress created a separate Department of Education and renamed the remainder Health and Human Services. Congress writes the statutes governing Medicare, Medicaid, and FDA authority, and funds HHS’s budget — the largest of any Cabinet department, driven mostly by Medicare and Medicaid spending.
Major Agencies
CDC
Disease surveillance, outbreak response, and public health guidance.
- Disease tracking
- Vaccination programs
- Health guidance
FDA
Approves drugs and devices, regulates food safety and tobacco products.
- Drug approval
- Food safety
- Recalls
CMS
Administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the health insurance marketplace.
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- ACA marketplace
How It Is Checked
Congress
Writes Medicare, Medicaid, and FDA statutes, and funds HHS’s budget through annual appropriations.
Courts
Review FDA and CMS rulemaking and can set aside actions exceeding statutory authority.
Public process
FDA drug approvals and CMS payment rules generally go through formal review and comment processes.
Inspector General
The HHS OIG audits programs and investigates health care fraud, including Medicare and Medicaid fraud.
Public Services Visitors May Need
Check a food or drug recallFDA recall alerts and safety notices.→
Find current CDC health guidanceDisease prevention and vaccination recommendations.→
Apply for health insurance marketplace coverageACA marketplace enrollment and subsidies.→
HHS used to include education
A common misconception is that health and education have always been separate federal concerns. From 1953 to 1979, they were run by the same department — the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Congress split education into its own Cabinet department in 1979, the same kind of division that separated Commerce from Labor decades earlier, leaving HHS focused on health and social-welfare programs alone.
