RFK Jr. May Eliminate the USPSTF, Original Task Force Members Warn
MedPage Today • • health
Key Points:
- Two founding members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) warn that the Trump administration, particularly HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., may undermine or eliminate the independent body, similar to actions taken against the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
- The USPSTF, established in 1984 to provide evidence-based preventive care recommendations, faces uncertainty as no new meeting dates have been announced, five members' terms expired without replacements, and draft guidelines remain pending.
- The experts caution that the administration could weaken the USPSTF by cutting its budget, replacing members with specialists who may have narrower views, and altering evidence standards, potentially removing recommendations focused on high-risk or marginalized populations.
