Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to remove all members of the USPSTF for being too “woke,” according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal. An HHS spokesperson, however, says no final decision has been made about the panel.
The American Medical Association is asking Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to retain the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force amid reports of his plans to dissolve the panel.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Kennedy is planning to fire all 16 members of the Task Force for allegedly being too “woke,” according to anonymous sources familiar with the matter. In a statement to Reuters after the news broke, however, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services noted that “no final decision has been made on how the USPSTF can better support HHS’ mandate to Make America Healthy Again.”
Dissolving USPSTF could pose a “potential headwind” for Gilead and its recently approved HIV pre-exposure prophylactic Yeztugo, analysts at BMO Capital Markets said in a note on Sunday. The analysts referenced the recent Braidwood decision by the Supreme Court, which found that the formation of the USPSTF is constitutional—but also gave Kennedy’s office the power to remove panel members at will and to review its recommendations before being finalized.
In that light, the panel dissolution is “somewhat expected,” according to BMO, which noted that the Supreme Court decision solidifies “RFK’s power to decide what is necessary as preventative care rather than upholding the standards set forth by prior administrations.”
The reports also follow the postponement
of a planned meeting of the USPSTF earlier this month, and an article in the American Conservative magazine where the author accused the committee of being a “festering corner of woke bureaucracy.”
In its open letter on Friday, the AMA emphasized the “critical, non-partisan role” that the USPSTF plays in supporting doctors to prevent diseases and improve the overall health of patients. Established in 1984, the USPSTF is composed of independent volunteers who are experts in preventive and evidence-based medicine.
The group weighs existing evidence to determine the “balance of benefits and harms” of various preventive services. Its recommendations help physicians decide which services are appropriate for their patients.
“The USPSTF puts forth recommendations that dictate coverage policy for health insurers nationwide,” the AMA additionally explained in its letter on Friday, noting that insurers are bound by law to cover USPSTF-recommended services “without cost sharing.” USPSTF recommendations allow patients to have access to services such as screenings and preventive interventions for cancer, cardiovascular diseases and psychiatric conditions.
“Access to these services without cost sharing plays a critical role in keeping patients healthy and reducing the burdens of disease,” the AMA noted.
The AMA has also previously spoken out against Kennedy. Last month, the group called for a Senate probe into the Secretary after he fired all members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. “Vaccines have been proven to dramatically reduce hospitalization and death,” the AMA said at the time, noting that “it is imperative for recommendations to be made without political interference.”
