Question

Would you agree or disagree with the following statement, “The single most important health policy choice in the United States over the past five decades has nothing to do with the Department of Health and Human Services, but rather with the Internal Revenue Service.” What evidence can you cite to support your position?

Answer 1

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the most important legislation that impacts health policy and the Interna Revenue Service is one of the few several federal agencies resonsible for it. It is the duty of the IRS to ensure the proper enforcement and administration of forty-seven of the Act’s tax-related provisions.

After undertaking the PPACA, the IRS is now responsible for the largest social benefit program ever implemented. The Congress tends to give the role of administering and enforcing social policies to the IRS and thus it is chiefly responsible for the PPACA.

This depicts the importance of the IRS rather than that of the Department of Health and Human Services in the most important health policy choices.