Overview of the FY2017 HHS Budget Request

On February 9, 2016, the Obama Administration released its FY2017 budget request. However, HHS would receive the next largest share (nearly 7%) of all discretionary budget authority requested by the President, followed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Education. Budgetary Resources vs. Appropriations

Readers should be aware that the HHS budget includes a broader set of budgetary resources than the amounts provided to HHS through the annual appropriations process. As a result, certain amounts shown in FY2017 HHS budget materials (including amounts for prior years) will not match amounts provided to HHS by annual appropriations acts and displayed in accompanying congressional documents. In addition, the HHS budget request takes into account the department as a whole, while the appropriations process breaks up HHS funding across three different appropriations bills. A table of K ey P olicy S taff is included at the end of the report.
This report provides information about the FY2017 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It begins by reviewing the department's mission and structure. This is followed by an overview of the total FY2017 request for the department. Next, the report discusses the concept of the HHS budget as a whole, compared to funding provided to HHS through the annual appropriations process. This distinction is important because certain amounts shown in FY2017 HHS budget materials (including amounts for prior years) will not match amounts provided to HHS by annual appropriations acts (and displayed in accompanying congressional documents) because they take into account a broader set of budgetary resources. The report concludes with a breakdown of the HHS request by agency, along with additional HHS resources that provide further information on the request. A table of key policy staff is included at the end of the report.