# United States Department of Health and Human Services *Cabinet-level executive department of the U.S. federal government* The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is an executive department of cabinet rank in the U.S. federal government. Its remit is to set guidelines for the private healthcare system and to supply essential human services, among them the funding of medical studies.[^1] A secretary of health and human services heads it. The president nominates the secretary, and the [[United States Senate]] must confirm the appointment.[^1] Until the separate federal Department of Education was established in 1979, the department was named the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW).[^1] The surgeon general leads the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the uniformed service of the U.S. Public Health Service.[^1] The cached article quotes the department's stated aim: to "protect the health of all Americans and provide essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves."[^2] The same article gives two figures for the [[Office of Refugee Resettlement]] (ORR), an HHS sub-agency. ORR released approximately 90,000 unaccompanied children during 2013–2015. It did not track where they went or properly screen the families who took them in.[^3] When officials made follow-up calls between October and December 2017, they had lost track of 1,475 children.[^3] The record assembled for this article consists of one cached Wikipedia revision. No primary filing, statute page or agency release has been verified for the facts and figures below.[^1] ## History The Federal Security Agency (FSA) dates from July 1, 1939. It was set up under the Reorganization Act of 1939, P.L. 76–19, to gather the federal government's health, education and social security programs into a single agency.[^4] Paul V. McNutt was its first administrator.[^4] At its founding, the FSA had five parts: - the Office of the Administrator; - the Public Health Service; - the Office of Education; - the Civilian Conservation Corps; - the Social Security Board.[^4] Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953 took effect on April 11, 1953, and created HEW. No Cabinet-level department had been added since the Department of Labor in 1913.[^4] The plan abolished the FSA and moved all of its functions to the HEW secretary and all of its components into the new department.[^4] Oveta Culp Hobby was sworn in as the first HEW secretary on April 11, 1953. She had commanded the Women's Army Corps in World War II and had been editor and publisher of the *Houston Post*.[^4] HEW had six major program-operating components: - the Public Health Service; - the Office of Education; - the Food and Drug Administration; - the Social Security Administration; - the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation; - St. Elizabeth's Hospital.[^4] The department was also responsible for three federally aided corporations, including Howard University and the American Printing House for the Blind.[^4] ## Organization The secretary heads the department and is a member of the Cabinet. A deputy secretary, also a presidential appointee, helps the secretary manage HHS. Seven assistant secretaries serve beneath them as top departmental administrators.[^5] The cached article describes the department's structure as it stood at the start of 2025. It also reports a planned 2025 HHS reorganization that would cut the number of top-level divisions from 28 to 15.[^5] The Public Health Service is a grouping of agencies and offices inside HHS, and it houses the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.[^5] Its listed operating agencies are: - the National Institutes of Health (NIH); - the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); - the Indian Health Service (IHS); - the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); - the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ([[ATSDR]]); - the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); - the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); - the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); - the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR); - the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).[^5] The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Office of the Surgeon General and the Office of Global Affairs are also listed.[^5] ## Budget and finances For fiscal year 2020, the department's authorized budget was $1.293 trillion.[^6] That year's budget cut $1.276 billion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and $4.533 billion from the National Institutes of Health.[^6] Combined with other changes made since 2019, the reductions totaled more than $24 billion in revised discretionary budget authority across HHS for FY2020.[^6] ## Programs According to the cached article, HHS runs 115 programs through 11 operating divisions.[^2] The programs fall into four groups: - social services; - civil rights and healthcare privacy; - disaster preparedness; - health-related research.[^2] The social service programs serve people with low incomes, people with disabilities, military families and senior citizens.[^2] The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets out patients' privacy rights over medical information. It also protects workers' health insurance during unemployment and sets guidelines for some health insurance.[^2] For health emergencies, HHS works with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and the Office of Emergency Management.[^2] ## Criticisms and controversies The cached article summarizes a US Senate report published in 2016. The report found that several dozen unaccompanied children from Central America, some as young as 14, had been released from custody to traffickers. The children were then sexually assaulted, starved, or made to work for little or no pay.[^3] The article attributes the release of approximately 90,000 unaccompanied children during 2013–2015 to ORR, without tracking or proper screening of the receiving families.[^3] In 2016, the Homeland Security and Health & Human Services departments signed a memorandum of understanding. Under it, they agreed to set up joint procedures for unaccompanied migrant children within one year. The cached article reports that they had not done so as of 2018.[^3] The article also gives the results of ORR's calls between October and December 2017: - ORR attempted to reach 7,635 children and their sponsors. - 6,075 children were still with their sponsors. - 28 had run away. - Five had been removed from the United States. - 52 had moved to live with a nonsponsor. - Officials had lost track of 1,475.[^3] The article reports that ORR claims it is not legally liable for the children's safety and status after release from custody.[^3] The cached article further asserts that HHS gave antipsychotics to migrating children without consent and under questionable medical supervision. No source for that assertion is held in this record.[^3] The article attributes two statements to medical professionals: - Wrongly prescribed antipsychotics are especially dangerous for children and can cause permanent psychological damage. - DHS and HHS incarceration and separation policies cause the children lasting mental harm.[^3] The article also states that children have died in HHS custody. The record assembled here does not establish the number or circumstances of those deaths.[^3] ## Related legislation The cached article lists enactments affecting the department's programs, including: - the Hospital Survey and Construction Act (Hill-Burton Act), PL 79-725 (1946); - the Public Health Service Act, PL 87-838 (1962); - the Medicare section of the Social Security Act, PL 89-97 (1965); - the Comprehensive Health Planning and Service Act, PL 89-749 (1966); - the Department of Education Organization Act, PL 96-88 (1979), which removed education functions; - the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act, PL 100-360 (1988); - the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, PL 104-191 (1996); - the Child Abuse Reform and Enforcement Act, PL 106-177 (2000); - the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, PL 111-148 (2010); - the 21st Century Cures Act, PL 114-255 (2016).[^7] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *United States Department of Health and Human Services*, lead section (revision 1380794455, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes HHS's remit, the secretary's appointment with Senate consent, the former HEW name before the 1979 creation of the Department of Education, and the surgeon general's leadership of the Commissioned Corps. This revision is the only source in the record. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *United States Department of Health and Human Services*, *Programs* section (revision 1380794455, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes the department's stated aim (quoted), the 115 programs across 11 operating divisions, the program categories, HIPAA, and emergency preparedness partners. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *United States Department of Health and Human Services*, *Criticisms and controversies* section (revision 1380794455, retrieved 2026-10-26). Summarizes the 2016 Senate report, ORR's release of approximately 90,000 children in 2013–2015, the 2016 memorandum of understanding, the October–December 2017 ORR call figures, and the antipsychotics and deaths-in-custody assertions. These are as reported in that section and not verified against primary sources. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *United States Department of Health and Human Services*, *History* section (revision 1380794455, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes the FSA's founding on July 1, 1939 under P.L. 76–19 and its components, HEW's creation on April 11, 1953 under Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953, Oveta Culp Hobby as first secretary, and HEW's components and aided corporations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *United States Department of Health and Human Services*, *Organization* section (revision 1380794455, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes the leadership structure, the planned 2025 reorganization from 28 to 15 top-level divisions, and the Public Health Service operating agencies and offices. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *United States Department of Health and Human Services*, *Budget and finances* section (revision 1380794455, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes the FY2020 authorized budget of $1.293 trillion, the CDC and NIH decreases, and the total decrease of over $24 billion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *United States Department of Health and Human Services*, *Related legislation* section (revision 1380794455, retrieved 2026-10-26). Lists enactments with public law numbers and years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services