Prime Highlights

• AMA is seriously alarmed by reports that HHS Secretary RFK Jr. plans to replace all members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
• More than 100 health groups alert that such actions would destabilize access to vital preventive health care services.

Key Fact

• The USPSTF makes evidence-based recommendations for prevention, including cancer screening and primary care interventions.
• Its requests impact insurance coverage for close to 100 million Americans under the Affordable Care Act.

Key Background

The American Medical Association( AMA) called on Health and Human Services( HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to keep being members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force( USPSTF). The task force plays an important part in developing validation- predicated guidelines for precautionary services like cancer netting, cardiovascular complaint netting, and internal health netting, which insurers must cover without cost- sharing under the Affordable Care Act.

The reports say Kennedy will be replacing all 16 members of the USPSTF, stating that the panel is “too woke.” The move comes after his earlier move in June to replace all 17 members of the CDC vaccine advisory panel and replace them with persons like vaccine skeptics, which gave rise to raised eyebrows from the health experts and lawmakers on both sides.

In mid-July, the USPSTF abruptly postponed a scheduled meeting with minimal explanation, giving rise to questions about whether its end is near. Since then, over 100 health and medical organizations have sent letters to Congress, highlighting that their annihilation would place millions of Americans in jeopardy of losing access to preventive care and public health benefits.

No decision has yet been made despite the outrage, HHS said. But medical societies say eliminating or destroying expert advising panels such as the USPSTF erodes public confidence in health guidance. Any disruption will slow down preventive screening, cut care covered by insurance, and further exacerbate healthcare disparities across the country, they caution.

The AMA stance is a statement of growing tension between political decision and medical expertise. As much as preventive medicine remains a cornerstone of cheap medicine, the specter of re-making the USPSTF has sent warning signals about long-term effects on U.S. policy and patient treatment.

Read more : Forged for Impact: From Athletic Prowess to Business Revolution