U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a Cabinet-level government department that provides health and human services, and promotes research in social services, medicine and public health. It achieves this through 11 agencies that manage more than 100 programs. The agencies include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).

The Department of Health and Human Services was originally founded as a Cabinet-level department in 1953 as the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW). In 1979, the Department of Education Organization Law created a separate Department of Education. The remaining agencies were reorganized as the Department of Health and Human Services on May 4, 1980.

HHS implements parts of the Affordable Care Act, enforces the HIPAA Privacy Rule, ensures that human-subject research conducted by department-funded institutions obeys regulations, and operates the Head Start program for children. It is also the largest grant-making agency in the country. According to the 2017 budget, some of the key goals for the department including addressing opioid abuse, increasing access to mental and behavioral health programs, and supporting the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. 

The Department of Health and Human Services aims to "protect the health of all Americans and provide essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves."  To achieve this mission, HHS has 11 operating divisions, which conduct various research. This includes eight agencies in the U.S. Public Health Service and three human services agencies, all of which offer a variety of health and human services. These operating divisions include: Administration for Children and Families (ACF); Administration for Community Living (ACL); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); Indian Health Service (IHS); National Institutes of Health (NIH); and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 

HHS oversees 115 programs across its 11 operating divisions that consist of social service programs, civil rights and healthcare privacy programs, disaster preparedness programs, and health-related research. A variety of social service programs are offered, geared toward people with low income, disabilities, military families and senior citizens. HHS oversees healthcare rights, as well, in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA protects patients' medical information and workers health insurance when unemployed, and also sets guidelines surrounding health insurance.