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In response to citizens’ distrust of the state and its public administrations, France has set up a number of independent authorities: administrative authorities or public authorities, depending on their respective status. This extensive approach has not gone uncriticized, either by parliament or by publicists. The Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) (French National Authority for Health) occupies a special place within this group, due as much to the historical circumstances surrounding its creation as to its status, its missions, and the broad scope it covers. HAS is the only public administrative authority whose entire remit falls within the healthcare sector. Its creation became necessary because of a growing mistrust of public administrations, on the one hand, and the succession of health crises, which served as a stark reminder of the need for independent health expertise, on the other. To fully guarantee this independence, HAS is committed to the principles of ethics and transparency.