Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. looks on during a news conference at the USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., on July 14. Top medical groups are alarmed by a report that Kennedy may remove another advisory panel.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
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Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may soon dismiss the members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an advisory panel of primary care experts, raising “deep concern” from the American Medical Association and other top medical groups.
The plan was first reported in The Wall Street Journal. “It’s very concerning — and it’s not the first time we’ve been concerned,” says Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the AMA. NPR has not independently confirmed the plan.
Last month, Kennedy dismissed the members of a different advisory committee — one on vaccines for the CDC — and replaced them with his own picks, who largely lacked the expertise in vaccines, immunology and patient care the members typically have.
Mukkamala worries the same could happen now with the USPSTF. The independent group of experts focuses on primary care, and is convened by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, under the Department of Health and Human Services, which is overseen by Kennedy.
“When you have something good and you don’t know if it’s going to be replaced with something good, it’s just a risk that nobody should take,” Mukkamala says.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The USPSTF has been reviewing data and making recommendations for preventing all sorts of diseases since 1984.
“Probably every patient I see, I’m using about five to 20 of their guidelines to make sure that I’m keeping that person healthy,” says Dr. Alexander Krist, a family physician at Virginia Commonwealth University, and a former chair of the task force. The guidelines set by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) are crucial for various preventive care measures such as mammograms for breast cancer screening, colonoscopies for colon cancer, and managing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, depression, and anxiety.
The USPSTF oversees approximately 100 guidelines for preventive care across all age groups, making it a trusted source for primary care clinicians. Dr. Michael Barry, a renowned internal medicine researcher and professor at Harvard Medical School, emphasizes the consistency and reliability of the USPSTF guidelines over the past 40 years.
Disrupting the current members of the USPSTF could have detrimental effects on the trust healthcare providers have in these guidelines, leading to confusion and uncertainty in delivering preventive care. Additionally, since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, these guidelines have also influenced insurance coverage decisions.
Recently, the American Medical Association (AMA) and other health organizations have voiced their concerns over potential political interference in the USPSTF’s operations. They highlight the importance of safeguarding the integrity and impartiality of the Task Force to ensure the well-being of patients, healthcare systems, and insurers.
The AMA has urged Congress to preserve the current USPSTF members and uphold their commitment to promoting public health. By retaining the current members and supporting their work, the USPSTF can continue its mission of reducing disease burden and enhancing the overall health of the American population.
