According to the reports, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States, plans to fire the 16 members of the United States preventive services task. HHS has not yet made a statement confirming this, but some medical care leaders are already expressing a group.
The USPSTF, founded 40 years ago, is a panel of experts who make recommendations on preventive health services such as exams, advice and measurements to improve the health of the country’s population. When the health care law was approved at a low price in 2010, the law granted the USPSTF a new power when demanding payers to completely cover preventive services at panel A or B rates.
The Wall Street Journal It was the first outlet that reported that Kennedy is consulting the panel. Kennedy plans to fire all USPSTF members because he believes that his views are too “aroused,” the publication said on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Earlier this month, the HHS abruptly canceled a USPSTF meeting, giving members only four days of notice and without explanation of why the meeting could not take place. The panel was preventive measures designed for cardiovascular diseases and chronic diseases in children.
The American Medical Association is fiercely legal for the panel to remain intact, and its CEO John Whyte sent Kennedy a letter express his concerns on Sunday.
“By law, insurers must cover the SHOWHOUT SARING recommended by USPSTF. This means that patients have access to services such as colon detection, breast and lung cancer exams; anxiety and depression exams for thistles and screens; these services without shared costs play a critical role in keeping healthy patients and reducing disease loads,” Whyte wrote.
Companies in the preventive health space are also concerned about possible changes in the USPSTF.
For example, Kevin Conroy, CEO of Exact Sciences, manufacturer of the popular colon cancer detection test, issued a statement that highlights the vital role of the panel in the improvement of preventive care and the reduction of cancer deaths.
“It is essential that we maintain high standards for cancer detection guidelines and ensure that preventive care remains rooted in rigorous clinical validation. As the health panorama evolves, changes in detection patterns should be based on proven science and a commitment to the patient’s results,” said Conroy.
As uncertainty is assigned, he and others fear that the dismantling of USPSTF can undermine decades of progress in preventive health based on evidence.
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