Question: who makes health policy in the united states

title: Health care in the United States
text: Healthcare is subject to extensive regulation at both the federal and the state level , much of which `` arose haphazardly '' . Under this system , the federal government cedes primary responsibility to the states under the McCarran - Ferguson Act . Essential regulation includes the licensure of health care providers at the state level and the testing and approval of pharmaceuticals and medical devices by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) , and laboratory testing . These regulations are designed to protect consumers from ineffective or fraudulent healthcare . Additionally , states regulate the health insurance market and they often have laws which require that health insurance companies cover certain procedures , although state mandates generally do not apply to the self - funded health care plans offered by large employers , which exempt from state laws under preemption clause of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act . 

Answer: answer: Healthcare is subject to extensive regulation at both the federal and the state level.  Under this system, the federal government cedes primary responsibility to the states under the McCarran - Ferguson Act.  Although state mandates generally, it does not apply to the self - funded health care plans offered by large employers, which exempt from state laws under preemption clause of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.