RFK Jr. Appoints 8 Health Task Force Members After Blocking Panel for Over a Year
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 17
RFK Jr. Appoints 8 Health Task Force Members After Blocking Panel for Over a Year
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 17
Summary
Eight new appointees now reshape the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel whose recommendations drive preventive care coverage for most Americans.
The overhaul follows more than a year in which Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stymied the task force’s work, raising concerns the administration is steering a historically independent body toward its political agenda.
At least three members, including new chair Seth Corey, have opposed or worked with groups opposing gender-affirming care for transgender teens, while at least two have criticized Covid vaccines or urged narrower use.
The task force’s ratings influence when Americans receive screenings such as mammograms, colonoscopies, depression checks and osteoporosis tests, and most insurers must cover services it endorses.
HHS selected the members through an opaque process, refusing public access to nomination and application materials that were supposed to be available.
Will adding specialized doctors to the preventive task force lead to groundbreaking early detection or trigger a wave of unnecessary medical screenings?
How will the unexpected inclusion of health economists redefine which life-saving preventive treatments you can receive for free?
Could AI tools be the secret weapon the new task force uses to clear its massive backlog of stalled medical screening guidelines?