Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is reportedly planning to fire all 16 members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). HHS has yet to make a statement confirming this, but some healthcare leaders are already voicing concern.
The USPSTF, founded 40 years ago, is a panel of experts who make recommendations on preventive health services like screenings, counseling and medications to improve the country’s population health. When the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, the law gave the USPSTF new power by requiring payers to fully cover preventive services at the panel rates A or B.
The Wall Street Journal was the first outlet to report that Kennedy is considering eliminating the panel. Kennedy plans to dismiss all USPSTF members because he thinks their views as too “woke,” the publication reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Earlier this month, HHS abruptly canceled a USPSTF meeting — giving members just four days’ notice and no explanation as to why the meeting couldn’t take place. The panel was preparing to discuss preventive measures designed for cardiovascular disease and chronic disease in children.
The American Medical Association is fiercely advocating for the panel to stay intact, with its CEO John Whyte sending Kennedy a letter expressing his concerns on Sunday.
“By law, insurers must cover USPSTF-recommended services without cost sharing. This means that patients have access to services such as screenings for colon, breast, and lung cancer; screenings for anxiety and depression in children; and screenings and preventive services for cardiovascular disease. Access to these services without cost sharing plays a critical role in keeping patients healthy and reducing the burdens of disease,” Whyte wrote.
Companies in the preventive health space are also worried about potential changes to the USPSTF.
For example, Kevin Conroy, CEO of Exact Sciences — maker of popular colon cancer screening test Cologuard — issued a statement highlighting the panel’s vital role in improving preventive care and reducing cancer deaths.
“It’s essential that we maintain high standards for cancer screening guidelines and ensure that preventive care remains rooted in rigorous clinical validation. As the healthcare landscape evolves, changes to the screening guidelines must be based on proven science and a commitment to patient outcomes,” Conroy stated.
As uncertainty looms, he and others fear that dismantling the USPSTF could undermine decades of progress in evidence-based preventive health.
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