Politics
RFK Jr.’s focus on preventive health panel provokes new fears
By Nathaniel Weixel
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has his sights set on remaking another influential health panel, one that determines what preventive medical services insurers must cover for free.
After Kennedy blocked the panel from meeting on multiple occasions, declined to replace members whose terms expired and fired its leaders in May, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is finally set to convene in August, with potentially as many as eight new members.
It will be the group’s first in-person meeting in 17 months, after the administration canceled four prior meetings.
Neither Kennedy or HHS has publicly offered an explanation of why they are changing the panel or what they think its role should be, raising concerns of political interference into an independent panel which historically has been apolitical.
Former members said HHS has blocked the panel from beginning work on new topics and suppressed the release of four new guidelines, including new recommendations on cervical cancer screenings.
HHS did not respond to a list of questions about the secretary’s plans for the task force, or why the administration has blocked the release of four recommendations.
Senior HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard said only that because of an “unprecedented number of nominations received” for new members, the July meeting was postponed until late August “to allow additional time for selection and onboarding” of new members.
“That task force has been lackadaisical. It’s not been doing its job,” he told a House committee in April. “If it had been doing its job, we would have early screening for Alzheimer’s.”
During a separate hearing, Kennedy said the agency was “bringing new members on who have a clear mission.”
