Federal Budget

This Health Policy 101 chapter explores the federal government’s role in health policy for the fragmented U.S. health care system. It examines the impact of the three federal branches and goes into further detail about the Department of Health and Human Services structure and the major congressional committees dealing with health care. It also briefly outlines the federal budgetary and regulatory process.

This fact sheet provides an overview of U.S. government global health policy and engagement.

In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman examines the implications of Secretary Kennedy’s reorganization of HHS and why it’s a sharp break from past efforts to reorganize the department.

This brief examines the U.S. government’s efforts in global health security—that is, activities to help countries prepare for and develop capacities to address epidemic and pandemic diseases. It provides history and background, outlines the U.S. agencies carrying out these efforts, describes funding, and highlights key policy issues going forward.

This fact sheet provides a snapshot of global polio eradication efforts and examines the U.S. government’s role in addressing polio worldwide.

As the Trump administration works to dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a new KFF poll finds that two-thirds (67%) of the public believe these actions will increase illness and death in low-income countries, and a similar majority (62%) believe it will result in more humanitarian crises around…

This poll finds most of the public believe the cutbacks at USAID will lead to increases in illness and death in low-income countries. Nearly half say it will reduce the U.S. budget. Most of the public also overestimates the share of the federal budget that is spent on foreign aid, and when informed it is about 1% of the federal budget, the share who want to reduce spending drops.

This fact sheet describes the functions, governance, funding, and approach of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), with a particular focus on MCC’s engagement in global health.

Medicaid represents $1 out of every $5 spent on health care in the U.S. and is the major source of financing for states to provide health coverage and long-term services and supports for low-income residents. This brief examines key questions about Medicaid financing and how it works.

This analysis examines the potential impacts on states, Medicaid enrollees, and providers of implementing a per capita cap on federal Medicaid spending, which is one proposal that has been discussed in Congress. Such a plan could decrease federal Medicaid spending by $532 billion to almost $1 trillion over a 10-year period, depending on how states respond. An estimated 15 million people could lose Medicaid coverage by 2034.