US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly planning to oust all 16 members of a federal advisory panel that determines which cancer screenings and preventive health services insurers are required to cover, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Kennedy aims to remove the entire US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a volunteer panel of medical experts whose recommendations undergird the preventive care mandates established by the Affordable Care Act. The task force evaluates screenings and services from breast cancer detection to HIV prevention medication.
While the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Friday that “no final decision has been made,” the agency’s tone suggested a shake-up is being considered. “No final decision has been made on how the USPSTF can better support HHS’ mandate to Make America Healthy Again,” an HHS spokesperson told the Journal.
If carried out, the mass dismissal would mark Kennedy’s latest attempt to reshape US public health policy, particularly around vaccines and preventive medicine, Reuters reported. A long-time vaccine skeptic, Kennedy fired all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in June and replaced them with just seven appointees — some of whom share his skepticism.
The potential gutting of the USPSTF has drawn criticism from more than 100 health organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. In a letter to Congressional health committees earlier this month, they urged lawmakers “to protect the integrity” of the task force.
“The recommendations of the USPSTF are a cornerstone of preventive care,” the letter stated. “Undermining its independence could jeopardize the health of millions of Americans.”
Though the USPSTF operates independently, its members are appointed by the HHS secretary without Senate confirmation and receive support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The group’s authority was reaffirmed in June when the US Supreme Court upheld the task force’s constitutional standing and its role in shaping preventive care mandates.
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With inputs from Reuters