The American Medical Association said it expressed “deep concern” to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. over reports of plans within the agency to dismiss all 16 members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
“USPSTF plays a critical, non-partisan role in guiding physicians’ efforts to prevent disease and improve the health of patients by helping to ensure access to evidence-based clinical preventive services,” the AMA said in a July 27 letter. “As such, we urge you to retain the previously appointed members of the USPSTF and commit to the long-standing process of regular meetings to ensure their important work can continue without interruption.”
Here are four things to know:
1. Mr. Kennedy reportedly has plans to dismiss the panel members because he views them as “too woke,” sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal in a July 25 report.
2. The task force has advised the federal government on preventive health matters since 1984. Since 2010, the panel has determined around 100 guidelines for screenings, counseling and preventive medication that insurers are required to cover at no cost to patients. This includes services such as screening for cancer, anxiety and depression, and preventive services for cardiovascular disease.
3. The panel, which is made up of volunteer medical experts who are vetted for conflicts of interest, combs through scientific evidence to determine why interventions are proven to work.
4. In a landmark June 27 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act’s preventive care coverage mandate in a 6-3 vote, affirming that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force can continue issuing recommendations for services that must be covered by health insurers without cost-sharing.
“The Task Force members are removable at will by the Secretary of HHS, and their recommendations are reviewable by the Secretary before they take effect,” Justice Kavanaugh wrote for the court majority. “So Task Force members are supervised and directed by the Secretary, who in turn answers to the President, preserving the chain of command in Article II.”
