JONATHAN M. METSCH – Tracking Emerging Public Health Challenges – April 16, 2026 – ACIP
“Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday he’s overhauling a group of external experts who decide what medical services are preventive and must be covered fully by insurers under the Affordable Care Act.”
“Made of 16 experts, the task force is working on draft recommendations on autism screening in young children; breast cancer risk assessment and drugs to reduce risk; and counseling on early allergen introduction to prevent infant food allergies. Autism and food allergies in children are among Kennedy’s priorities for improving children’s health.
But the Department of Health and Human Services canceled three of the four meetings the group was scheduled to hold since President Donald Trump took office last year.
The Wall Street Journal reported last summer that Kennedy was planning to remove all 16 task force members because he considered them too “woke.”
“We’re now bringing new members on who have a clear mission,” Kennedy told lawmakers Thursday, adding that the task force will have more frequent meetings and transparency.
“But some public health advocates worry that Kennedy would remake the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to align it with his views, many of which go against mainstream science, the same way he overhauled the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appointing members who shared his skepticism of vaccine safety.” (1)
“The task force, which was formed in 1984, has historically been an independent panel made up of volunteer doctors and other health professionals. It reviews scientific literature and grades procedures and medications on a scale of “A” (the highest) to “D.” Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans must fully cover services rated “A” or “B.” That gives the panel significant influence over what care Americans can obtain.”
“Members typically serve staggered four-year terms, so that each health secretary has an opportunity to replace only a portion of the task force. Last June, though, the Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Kennedy could remove members before their terms ended and could block any recommendations he disagreed with before they became legally binding.
That ruling stemmed from a lawsuit brought by conservatives after the task force in 2023 gave an “A” grade to pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as PrEP, medications that drastically reduce the risk of contracting H.I.V. from having sex or injecting drugs. Some plaintiffs argued that it was against their religious beliefs to require insurance companies to pay for PrEP.” (2)
“Some doctors worry that this could be a sign that HHS plans to dismantle the longtime group altogether, similar to how other federal advisory groups have been restructured.
“I do worry that they could eliminate it, but I worry less about a dramatic announcement and more about quiet paralysis,” said Dr. Aaron Carroll, a pediatrician and CEO of the nonprofit AcademyHealth, a national organization for health services and policy researchers.
“The USPSTF was created in statute, so eliminating it theoretically would take congressional action, but you can still undermine it in so many ways that matter to patients and clinicians,” Carroll said. “You can slow appointments, delay the work, change the standards or reduce the staff capacity that produces the rigorous reviews.”
He added that this “quiet paralysis” appears to be happening now.”
“Created in 1984, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF or Task Force) is an independent group of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine that works to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services such as screenings, counseling services, or preventive medications. The USPSTF is made up of 16 volunteer members who come from the fields of preventive medicine and primary care, including internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, obstetrics/gynecology, and nursing. All members volunteer their time to serve on the USPSTF, and most are practicing clinicians.
When Congress authorized the USPSTF, it required the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support the Task Force’s work. The 1998 Public Health Service Act and the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act instruct AHRQ to provide administrative, research, technical, and communication support to the Task Force. As part of this support, AHRQ helps with day-to-day operations, coordinates the production of evidence reports, ensures consistent use of Task Force methods, and helps disseminate Task Force materials and recommendations. The Secretary of HHS appoints new USPSTF members, with guidance from the Chair of the Task Force. While AHRQ staff supports the Task Force, it is important to note that the Task Force is an independent body, and its work does not require AHRQ or HHS approval.” (4)
1.RFK Jr. will remake panel that determines which preventative services insurers must cover, by Carmen Paun, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/04/16/congress/rfk-preventive-task-force-obamacare-insurance-00876202
2.A Powerful Health Task Force Is in Kennedy’s Cross Hairs, By Maggie Astor and Dani Blum,https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/well/rfk-jr-health-screenings-services-uspstf.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
3.The task force that shapes Americans’ preventive care has not met in a year. Doctors now worry it’s being ‘abandoned’ by HHS, By Jacqueline Howard and Tami Luhby, https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/03/health/uspstf-preventive-care-hhs
4.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, https://www.ahrq.gov/cpi/about/otherwebsites/uspstf/index.html
curated by Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H.
Clinical Professor of Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai