August 07, 2025
In response to credible
news reports that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., plans to remove all 16 members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) – a longstanding panel charged with improving the health of people nationwide by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services – California Medical Association President Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D., issued the following statement:
“These reports are deeply troubling. For more than 40 years, the USPSTF has served as an independent, nonpartisan arbiter of preventive care recommendations – from cancer screening to mental health assessments – and provided guidance that has shaped physician practices and insurer coverage. The Affordable Care Act and California state law ensure that patients receive timely, evidence-based preventive services as recommended by the USPSTF at no cost.
“The removal of all 16 volunteer experts poses serious risks to the integrity of this vital process. Disrupting its continuity could delay guideline updates, provoke confusion among clinicians, erode patient trust and jeopardize preventive care access for vulnerable populations. We join the American Medical Association in urging Secretary Kennedy to retain the task force’s current membership and safeguard its mission.”