Health and Human Services

The Department of Health and Human Services is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

The department includes more than 300 programs covering a wide spectrum of activities. Some highlights include:

• Financial assistance and services for low-income families
• Improving maternal and infant health
• Head Start (pre-school education and services)
• Substance abuse treatment and prevention
• Services for older Americans, including home-delivered meals
• Comprehensive health services for Native Americans

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides access to essential health care services for people who are low-income, uninsured, or live in rural areas or urban neighborhoods where health care is scarce. HRSA administers a variety of programs to improve the health of mothers and children and serves people living with HIV/AIDS through the Ryan White CARE Act programs. HRSA also oversees the nation's organ transplantation system. Headquarters: Rockville, Md.

Specific areas of their website you may find useful:

• Find free or low-cost health care
• HIV/AIDS Services
• Primary Health Care
• Maternal and Child Health

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) works to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services. SAMSA helps improve substance abuse prevention and treatment services through the identification and dissemination of best practices. They also monitor the prevalence and incidence of substance abuse. Headquarters: Rockville, MD.

Children's Mental Health

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which provide health care to about one in every four Americans. Medicare provides health insurance for more than 42.1 million elderly and disabled Americans. Medicaid, a joint federal-state program, provides health coverage for some 44.7 million low-income persons, including 21.9 million children, and nursing home coverage for low-income elderly. CMS also administers the State Children's Health Insurance Program that covers more than 4.2 million children. Headquarters: Baltimore, Md.
Web sites you may want to check:
Medicare
Children's Mental Health,