Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is turning his attention to another influential federal health panel. After reshaping a vaccine advisory committee, he now targets the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the independent body whose recommendations shape preventive care for tens of millions of Americans.
Kennedy has criticized the panel as 'lackadaisical and negligent' and announced plans to bring in new members, effectively freezing the task force's work for the past year. Meetings have been canceled, and more than a dozen draft recommendations are stalled.
The USPSTF, established in 1984, provides guidance on services from cancer screenings to heart disease prevention. Its A and B ratings mandate that insurance companies cover these services at no cost under the Affordable Care Act. Kennedy now seeks to widen the membership beyond primary care doctors to include more specialists.
Physicians and lawmakers are concerned. Dr. Alex Krist, a former task force chair, notes that primary care clinicians rely on these guidelines extensively. Critics worry that changing the panel's composition could erode trust in evidence-based recommendations. Sen. John Barrasso, a physician, questioned Kennedy's plans, emphasizing the task force's methodology as the 'gold standard.' Kennedy assured he would not undermine the panel’s function but wants a 'more representative group.'