Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is planning to remove all members of an advisory panel that determines what cancer screenings and other preventive health measures insurers must cover, according to people familiar with the matter.
Kennedy plans to dismiss all 16 panel members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force because he views them as too “woke,” the people said. The move represents part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to reform federal government agencies based on merit.
The task force has advised the federal government on preventive health matters since 1984. The Affordable Care Act in 2010 gave it the power to determine which screenings, counseling, and preventive medications most insurers are required to cover at no cost to patients.
A recent essay in The American Conservative magazine called for the removal of the task force members, arguing that it had embedded “left-wing ideological orthodoxy” in all of its efforts. The essay pointed to claims that systematic racism in America increased the risk factors for anxiety in older children and teenagers, as well as the task force’s use of terms such as “pregnant persons” instead of women.
The task force mentioned the “lasting psychological impact and stigma of enslaved Black women being forced to act as wet nurses” in an April publication on breast-feeding, the essay noted.
Kennedy’s planned overhaul comes as MAHA Action, a nonprofit that backs the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, has launched a six-figure ad campaign supporting the president and Kennedy’s health reforms. The organization is spending more than half a million dollars to promote the administration’s health agenda across cable television and social media platforms through August 12.
“President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have shown incredible courage in taking on powerful interests and putting the health of American families first,” MAHA Action president Tony Lyons said in a statement. “This is our way of saying thank you for their leadership and ensuring Congress knows that the American people, that millions of MAHA moms and advocates are behind these critical reforms.”
“MAHA Action will amplify the voices demanding an end to the corruption that has led to the chronic disease epidemic, to an existential health crisis,” Lyons said.
The Supreme Court decided a case in June that originally focused on a task force recommendation to cover certain HIV-prevention drugs. The employer plaintiffs had successfully argued that requiring them to cover such drugs for employees violated their religious rights. The high court ruled that the task force appointments were constitutional, while highlighting that the Health and Human Services Secretary has the authority to remove the members of the panel at will.
Kennedy’s office postponed the task force’s July meeting this month, alarming far-Left Democrats connected to Big Pharmaceutical industry. The HHS Immediate Office of the Secretary sent an email to USPSTF meeting participants four days before the scheduled July 10 meeting informing them that the meeting was postponed.
A HHS spokesperson told NBC News “no final decision has been made on how the USPSTF can better support HHS’ mandate to Make America Healthy Again.”
“The Secretary looks forward to working with the USPSTF to improve public health.”
The American Medical Association wasted no time voicing its opposition to the potential changes. The organization sent a letter to Kennedy on Sunday expressing “deep concern” about media reports of his intentions.
“USPSTF plays a critical, non-partisan role in guiding physicians’ efforts to prevent disease and improve the health of patients by helping to ensure access to evidence-based clinical preventive services,” the AMA said in its letter. “As such, we urge you to retain the previously appointed members of the USPSTF and commit to the long-standing process of regular meetings to ensure their important work can continue without interruption.”
Kennedy has already demonstrated his willingness to reshape health advisory panels. In June, he removed all members of a separate advisory committee on immunizations. New members appointed by Kennedy pushed forward several of the secretary’s priorities, announcing a new examination of the full schedule of vaccines children receive and recommending flu shots that don’t contain the preservative thimerosal, often used in multi-dose flu-vaccine vials.
The changes align with Kennedy’s broader health agenda since becoming Trump’s top health adviser. The former environmental lawyer has advocated for the removal of food dyes and additives and promoted additional research into autism. The President’s Commission to Make America Healthy Again released an initial report in May that studied childhood chronic diseases, identifying four top factors hurting American children: ultraprocessed foods, environmental chemicals, digital behavior, and “overmedicalization.”
One MAHA Action ad released as part of their campaign touts efforts to promote “real food” and address chronic illnesses.
“MAHA isn’t about politics, it’s about people standing up to say ‘enough,'” the ad states.