AMA Urges Retention of USPSTF Members to Sustain Evidence-Based Preventive Care
The American Medical Association (AMA) has expressed significant concern regarding reports that all 16 members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) may be removed. The USPSTF is a critical nonpartisan panel responsible for making evidence-based recommendations on clinical preventive services that shape disease prevention strategies nationwide. In its July 27 letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the AMA urged the retention of the existing task force members and emphasized the importance of uninterrupted operations to sustain evidence-based preventive care guidance for physicians and patients.
The USPSTF's recommendations are mandated by law for insurer coverage without patient cost-sharing, impacting screenings for various cancers, mental health conditions, and cardiovascular disease prevention. AMA CEO John J. Whyte highlighted that maintaining these services without out-of-pocket costs is essential to keeping patients healthy and reducing disease burdens. The AMA underscored that USPSTF members are nationally recognized experts volunteering their time through a transparent, public nomination process.
The task force includes experts across multiple medical disciplines such as primary care, pediatrics, behavioral health, obstetrics, and nursing, contributing to over 90 preventive service recommendations. The AMA partners with the USPSTF to disseminate these guidelines to physicians to keep clinical practices aligned with current preventive care standards. These recommendations are also regularly published in JAMA and made available on the AMA Ed Hub™.
Beyond the USPSTF, the AMA previously raised similar concerns regarding Health and Human Services moves affecting the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, highlighting the broader implications for health advisory bodies. The AMA has actively supported preventive care mandates, filing amicus briefs to defend the Affordable Care Act’s provisions that require coverage of USPSTF-recommended services, benefiting approximately 100 million privately insured Americans.
This situation underscores the pivotal role of independent, evidence-based federal advisory groups in maintaining consistent, science-driven clinical guidelines and insurance coverage requirements essential for population health management. The AMA's advocacy reflects a commitment to preserving structures that promote access to preventive services, thereby supporting the overarching goal of disease reduction and health improvement nationwide.