Public Health Policy

For classical liberals, health issues are seen as an individual concern, and the free market is the preferred method of delivering health care. Conversely, modern liberals find the redistributive elements of public health policy a critical part of creating a fair society; the distributive aspects are seen as part of basic human rights. This chapter discusses the major public health policies administered at the national level through the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It also discusses major actors in public health policy and explores the major policy functions of HHS. This chapter details major departmental policy areas that serve the public health policy function. This chapter explains Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program and examines Medicaid Expansion and the Affordable Care Act. This chapter also examines the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on health policy.