The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is a member of the United States Cabinet. The office was formerly Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1980, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was renamed the Department of Health and Human Services, and its education functions and Rehabilitation Services Administration were transferred to the new United States Department of Education.^[2] Patricia Roberts Harris headed the department before and after it was renamed.^[3]

Nominations to the office of Secretary of HHS are referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the United States Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid,^[4] before confirmation is considered by the full United States Senate.

Secretary of Health and Human Services is a level I position in the Executive Schedule,^[5] thus earning a salary of US$221,400, as of January 2021.^[6]

Xavier Becerra has served as the 25th United States secretary of health and human services since March 19, 2021, the first person of Hispanic descent to hold the post.

The duties of the secretary revolve around human conditions and concerns in the United States. This includes advising the president on matters of health, welfare, and income security programs. The secretary strives to administer the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out approved programs and make the public aware of the objectives of the department.^[7]

The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) was reorganized into a Department of Education and a Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS).

The Department of Health and Human Services oversees 11 agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).^[8]

Parties

  Democratic (9)   Republican (15)   Independent (1)

Status

  Denotes acting HHS Secretary

  Nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services

The line of succession for the secretary of health and human services is as follows:^[10]

1. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services.
2. General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services
3. Assistant Secretary for Administration
4. Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
5. Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
6. Commissioner of Food and Drugs
7. Director of the National Institutes of Health
8. Assistant Secretary for Children and Families
9. Other assistant secretaries (following in the order they took the oath of office)
   1. Assistant Secretary for Health
   2. Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
   3. Assistant Secretary for Legislation
   4. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
   5. Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources
   6. Assistant Secretary for Aging
10. Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
11. Director, Region 4 (Atlanta, Georgia)