Question

What governmental public health agency do you feel is the most important and why

Answer 1

At present, the main federal unit with responsibility for public health is the United States Public Health Service in the Department of Health and Human Services. The second major unit is the Health Care Financing Administration, also in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Because they surveys the population's health status and health needs, sets policies and standards, passes laws and regulations, supports biomedical and health services research, helps finance and sometimes delivers personal health services, provides technical assistance and resources to state and local health systems, provides protection against international health threats, and supports international efforts toward global health. The federal government does all of these mainly through two delegated powers: the power to regulate interstate commerce and the power to tax and spend for the general welfare. The federal government's regulatory activities, such as labeling hazardous substances, are based in the power to regulate interstate commerce. Its service-oriented programs, such as the cleanup of hazardous substances or financing personal health services through Medicaid and Medicare programs, are based in its power to tax and spend for the general welfare.