RFK Jr Fires Leaders of Preventive Health Task Force

The Trump administration fired the two leaders of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the influential panel that decides which preventive health services, including mammograms and colonoscopies, must be covered by insurance without cost-sharing.

In letters dated May 11, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. notified Drs. John Wong and Esa Davis that their appointments were terminated immediately, before the end of their multiyear terms.

The Department of Health and Human Services had already sidelined the task force, indefinitely postponing scheduled public meetings over the past year and leaving long-expected updates on cervical cancer screenings and other topics in limbo.

The panel, created in the 1980s, comprises experts who review scientific evidence for a range of disease prevention tools, including depression screenings and statins to prevent heart attacks. It issues guidelines with letter grades; under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans must cover A- or B-rated services without co-pays.

Kennedy’s letters did not explain why he removed Wong and Davis. He wrote that their “leadership, contributions and expertise” advanced the task force’s work and encouraged them to reapply. He said he was reviewing appointments to ensure “clarity, continuity and confidence” in HHS oversight.

The letters were first reported by the New York Times. An HHS spokesman did not respond to questions about the firings.

Kennedy told lawmakers last month he was reforming the task force, calling it “lackadaisical,” and promised more frequent meetings and “transparency.” The panel already holds public meetings, opens draft guidelines for comment, and publishes evidence.

Some health advocates feared Kennedy would replace experts with less experienced political appointees, as he did with a vaccine advisory committee. The task force was not allowed to publish its final update on cervical cancer screening or update maternal depression recommendations, said former chair Dr. Michael Silverstein.

“This is a level of government intrusion into scientific processes that I’ve not experienced in my 10 years on the taskforce,” Silverstein said.

The panel has staggered terms, allowing health secretaries to appoint new members gradually without disrupting the group, noted Aaron Carroll of AcademyHealth.