Which government agency is responsible for overseeing public health access and programs in the U.S.?

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the primary government agency responsible for overseeing public health access and programs in the United States. HHS manages a wide range of public health initiatives, including the administration of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and several health programs that aim to improve the nation's health and well-being.

This agency is pivotal in coordinating public health policy and implementing regulations that affect access to health care services. It also oversees several other agencies that focus on specific health issues, but HHS encompasses a broader scope of public health access and services across the entire country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while crucial for disease prevention and health promotion, primarily focuses on specific health threats and does not oversee the entirety of public health programs. Similarly, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) concentrates predominantly on medical research and fostering advancements in healthcare, rather than the implementation of public health access. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates food and drugs to ensure safety and efficacy but does not oversee public health access as a whole.