The Federal Ministry of Health, abbreviated BMG, is a cabinet-level ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is the highest German federal government department responsible for health. The ministry is officially located in Bonn and with a second office, which houses the ministry's management, located in Berlin.

History

The Federal Ministry of Health was founded in 1961; in 1969 it was merged with the Federal Ministry for Family and Youth to create the new Federal Ministry for Youth, Family and Health. In 1991, the Federal Ministry of Health was restored. In 2002, it was expanded to include social affairs and renamed "Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security" (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit und Soziale Sicherung). It was headed by the Federal Minister for Health and Social Security. Its portfolio included one part of the former Federal Ministry of Labour and the Social Order. The other part of the latter was added to the portfolio of the newly created Federal Ministry for Economics and Labour. Under the grand coalition headed by Angela Merkel in 2005, the portfolio reshuffle was reversed and responsibility for social affairs was moved back to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social affairs (Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales).

Ministers

Political Party:

Responsibilities of the Federal Ministry of Health

The Federal Ministry of Health is responsible for:

Supervisory role

The Federal Ministry of Health is responsible for the comprehensive (disciplinary) supervision of the following governmental institutions: The Federal Ministry of Health is also responsible for the non-disciplinary supervision of and the legal supervision of the umbrella organizations of the statutory health insurance schemes.