What portion of the federal budget does the Department of Health and Human Services account for?

• A. 10 percent
• B. 25 percent
• C. 5 percent
• D. 40 percent

Answer: (B)

A key idea here is the scale of federal health-related spending. The Department of Health and Human Services is the largest federal department in terms of outlays, largely because Medicare and Medicaid—and related health programs—drive a big share of spending, along with NIH and other health initiatives. Because of these substantial programs, the department typically accounts for about a quarter of the federal budget, roughly 25 percent. The exact share can vary a bit from year to year, but 25 percent is the commonly cited figure and fits the choice given. The other options are either too small or too large to reflect the department’s overall footprint within federal spending.