Created in 1953 as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and renamed in 1980 after education functions were split off. It is the government's largest department by spending, running Medicare and Medicaid through CMS and housing the NIH, FDA, and CDC.
Open the interactive page for HHS →Created byReorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953 (creating HEW); renamed by the Department of Education Organization Act, Oct. 17, 1979 (Pub. L. 96-88, 93 Stat. 668)
Head appointed5 U.S.C. § 101 lists HHS as an executive department; the Secretary is appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. No fixed term (PAS)
Removal standardno statutory removal protection — removable at will (Myers v. United States, 272 U.S. 52 (1926))
Funded underDepartments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
Congressional oversightHouse Committee on Energy and Commerce; House Committee on Ways and Means · Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Senate Committee on Finance
Inspector generalHHS OIG (PAS IG under the IG Act, 5 U.S.C. § 403(a))
Judicial reviewAPA § 702 suits in district court; Medicare appeals under 42 U.S.C. § 405(g); Departmental Appeals Board and Medicare ALJ review
Vote for President and Senate; comment on proposed rules at regulations.gov; file a drug or food-safety report through FDA MedWatch (fda.gov/safety/medwatch); appeal a Medicare denial through the HHS Departmental Appeals Board; report fraud to the HHS-OIG hotline (oig.hhs.gov).
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