HHS Cancels USPSTF’s November Meeting

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel that makes recommendations on clinical preventive services and health promotion, has had their November meeting cancelled by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), blaming the government shutdown despite no federal employees serving on the task force. This is the second meeting cancelled this year; the task force traditionally meets three times a year to review and revise recommendations. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly indicated intent to overhaul the task force, potentially through a similar replacement of the committee members as seen with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), (see previous COSSA coverage).

Earlier this year, COSSA signed onto a letter led by the Friends of the Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) urging Congress to protect the integrity of USPSTF. In the Senate, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Angus King (I-ME) have introduced a resolution to this end, however, it has yet to gain any momentum. In the meantime, the cancellation of the USPSTF’s meetings hinders the task force’s ability to make evidence-based recommendations to healthcare providers, policymakers, and insurance companies that rely on them to make well-informed decisions and provide necessary coverage.

Stay tuned for COSSA’s continued coverage on the federal government.