United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
| United States Secretary of Health and Human Services | |
|---|---|
Seal of the department | |
Flag of the secretary | |
since February 13, 2025 | |
| United States Department of Health and Human Services | |
| Style | Mr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal) |
| Member of | The United States Cabinet |
| Reports to | President of the United States |
| Seat | Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Washington, D.C. |
| Appointer | President of the United States with Senate advice and consent |
| Term length | At the president's pleasure |
| Constituting instrument | Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953 67 Stat. 631 42 U.S.C. § 3501 |
| Formation | April 11, 1953 |
| First holder | Oveta Culp Hobby |
| Succession | Twelfth |
| Deputy | United States Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services |
| Salary | Executive Schedule, Level I |
| Website | www.hhs.gov |
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. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the incumbent secretary of health and human services, having held the position since February 13, 2025.
The office was formerly known as the secretary of health, education, and welfare. In 1980, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was renamed to Department of Health and Human Services, and its education functions and Rehabilitation Services Administration were transferred to the new United States Department of Education. Patricia Roberts Harris headed the department before and after it was renamed.
Nominations to the office 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, before confirmation is considered by the full United States Senate. The secretary of health and human services is a level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of US$250,600, as of January 2025.