Healthfinder.gov, sponsored by the National Health Information Center, provides an alphabetical listing of health organizations. Click here to find a health organization that is related to your Health Law research.
Many agency websites provide access to agency decisions. However, the means of accessing the decision differs dramatically between websites. Some sites allow you conduct keyword searches; other sites provide indexes to help users locate decisions on a particular topic. However, some sites provide no finding aids at all. Below are just a few examples of sites that provide access to agency decisions.
A guide, prepared by the Ross-Blakley Law Library at the Arizona State University College of Law, provides a listing of many of the websites of administrative agencies providing access to administrative decisions.
Agencies oversee detailed regulations and enforce statutes and executive orders. Agencies are created for the development of expertise in a particular area of regulation like Health. The following areagency website's related to Health Law. Websites are an easy and free research tool for specific health topics, regulations, and statistics.
1. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is an agency whose mission is to develop scientific evidence that enables health care decision makers to make more informed health care choices. AHRQ is the health services research branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and that specialize in areas such as quality improvement and patient safety, outcomes and effectiveness of care, clinical practice and technology assessment, and health care organization and delivery systems.
2. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an agency who maintains several departments related to occupational safety and health.
3. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is an agency who is known to enforce Medicare Integrity Program. Specifically, with fraud and abuse, CMS has specific contracting authority to enter into contracts with entities to promote the integrity of the Medicare program.
4. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency who is charged with administered all or part of laws such as the Federal, Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) and the Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), the EPA is also in charge of administering Executive Orders such as EO13045: Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risk and Safety Risk.
5. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency who is in charge of administering multiple health regulations related to the following: food, drugs, medical devices, vaccines, blood and biologics, animal and veterinary, tobacco, cosmetics, and radiation-emitting products. The FDA is an operating division of DHHS.
6. Indian Health Services (IHS) is an operating division of DHHS that is delegated to operating the federal health program for American Indians and Alaskan Natives.
7. National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) is part of the National Institute of Health (NIH), a component of DHHS. The mission of NIMHD is to lead scientific research to improve minority health and eliminate health disparities.
8. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is part of the NIH. The NICHD was established by Congress in 1962 to conduct and support research on topics related to the health of children, adults, families, and populations. Some topics include reducing infant death and understanding reproductive health and fertility/infertility.
9. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness.
10. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is an agency that was established by Congress to target effectively substance abuse and mental health services and to promote effective research into the general health care system.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health, through its system of local health services delivery, is ultimately responsible for protecting and improving the public's health status through strategies that focus on preventing disease.
Four major service branches, Community Health Services, Family Health Services, Disease & Prevention Services and Protective Health Services, provide technical support and guidance to 68 county health departments as well as guidance and consultation to the two independent city-county health departments in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Department of Justice (DOJ) - can file criminal and civil claims; each state will have one DOJ attorney per U.S. Office
Health care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFACP) - consist of DOJ, FBI, DHHS, OIG and CMS; all share information from a prosecution standpoint so all the agencies are on the same page.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) - authority to audit, investigate, and impose administrative sanction, including civil monetary penalties and exclusions from federal health care programs through DOJ.
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) - contracts with Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), enforces Medicare integrity program and uses Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs)
State Medicaid Fraud Control Units and State Medicaid Agencies (MFCUs) - entity of state government that conducts a statewide program for the investigation and prosecution of health care providers that defraud the Medicaid program.
