Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly plans to remove all 16 members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The USPSTF is an independent, volunteer panel that provides evidence-based national recommendations on a wide array of clinical preventive services, including cancer screenings, HIV prevention medications and tests, and suicide risk screenings. These recommendations play a pivotal role in health policy and health insurance coverage nationwide.
USPSTF members are appointed by the HHS Secretary through a public nominations process to serve 4-year terms, and are rigorously vetted to ensure they have no substantial conflicts of interest that could compromise the integrity of their work. All panel members are nationally recognized experts in prevention, evidence-based medicine, and primary care. The current panel includes behavioral health expert John Ruiz, PhD, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Arizona.
Earlier this month, Secretary Kennedy abruptly postponed a scheduled USPSTF meeting that was intended to address heart disease and prevention. The members were not given a reason for the cancellation or information on whether the meeting would be rescheduled.
This postponement came just a few weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requiring insurers to cover preventative services recommended by the USPSTF. The decision also established the HHS Secretary’s authority over the Task Force, including the ability to remove members and modify its rulings.
The Wall Street Journal reported on July 25 that Secretary Kennedy plans to dismiss all 16 members of the panel, claiming that their “woke” ideologies are interfering with the objectivity of the panel’s medical recommendations. The next day, Andrew Nixon, HHS spokesperson, released a statement saying that “no final decision has been made on how the USPSTF can better support HHS.”
Following this report, the American Medical Association sent a letter to Secretary Kennedy expressing its “deep concern” with the recent reports of his intention to remove all of the USPSTF members. The letter emphasizes the critical role the Task Force plays in guiding efforts to prevent disease and improve public health. Most importantly, the USPSTF recommendations dictate coverage policies of health insurance across the country.
The Friends of the Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality (AHRQ) – a coalition of more than 450 organizations that support the agency and its mission to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery – led a community sign on letter. This letter addressed the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (E&C), urging them to continue enforcing key structural aspects of the USPSTF to ensure its integrity is maintained. FABBS, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), along with 104 other health and research organizations, signed the letter in support.
FABBS will continue to monitor Secretary Kennedy’s actions regarding the USPSTF and their implications for behavioral health and research.
