Health Care
|
Health Care
|
|
|
HHS posts, then removes notice to remake preventive services task force |
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is seeking to remake an influential but little-known task force that determines what preventive medical services insurers must cover for free.
|
© Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press
|
The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday briefly posted a notice calling for physician nominations to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, but it was withdrawn shortly after.
HHS did not respond to a request for comment.
The call for nominations comes just days after Kennedy said during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing that he had plans to reform the panel because it had “been lackadaisical and negligent for 20 years.”
“We’re now bringing new members on who have a clear mission,” Kennedy said.
During a separate House hearing on Tuesday, Kennedy made similar comments, indicating a desire to revamp the panel.
Kennedy has repeatedly criticized the task force, which historically has been shielded from political influence. The panel is composed of medical experts who serve four-year terms on a volunteer basis.
Tuesday’s notice did not specify how many members of the 16-person panel are being sought. HHS said in the notice Tuesday that it anticipates new members will be invited to serve on the task force beginning in July 2026.
Public health experts and advocates have expressed concern over the past year over whether Kennedy would fire the entire task force and stack it with members ideologically aligned with himself, like he did with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine panel.
A federal judge ruled in March that Kennedy’s appointments to the vaccine panel had been made inappropriately and were invalid.
But last June, the Supreme Court ruled that Kennedy has the power to hire and dismiss panelists at will, as well as to delay or veto the recommendations they issue if he disagrees with them — something no prior administration has done.
|
Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, I’m Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.
|
|
|
How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:
|
|
|
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Congress on Tuesday that he has not faced pressure from the White House to scale back his vaccine skepticism, even as a top Trump health adviser recognized “ongoing conversations about where to prioritize.” The denial contradicts a mounting body of reporting from sources inside the Trump administration who say the White House is keeping Kennedy …
|
|
|
|
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) advised the next Democratic president to focus on passing universal healthcare, a policy measure that has been hotly debated within the party in recent years. “We have to figure out, once we move in a progressive way, once we see a Barack Obama win, once we see a Congress win, it has to be about not holding power for the sake of holding power, it has to be about passing things,” Walz said on MS NOW’s …
|
|
|
|
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not speak to President Trump about nominating Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he told lawmakers Tuesday. Kennedy told a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee that he met with Schwartz on “multiple occasions” prior to her being tapped as the new nominee, including to discuss her views on vaccinations. …
|
|
|
|
Branch out with a different read:
|
|
|
RFK Jr. to revamp influential preventive services panel
|
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is seeking to remake an influential but little-known task force that determines what preventive medical services insurers must cover for free. The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday issued a call for nominations to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The notice did not specify how many members of the 16-person panel will be appointed. …
|
|
|
Local and state headlines on health care:
|
- Mid-Missouri services aim to holistically treat Black maternal health (KOMU 8)
- State health officials announce 2026’s first confirmed case of measles in Maryland (Maryland Matters)
- Montana Auditor says another $14 million blocked in health fraud scheme (NBC Montana)
|
|
|
Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets:
|
- CMS to ask every state for new audits of health care providers (Stat)
- Real estate investors profit from long-term care while residents languish (KFF Health News)
- Navy recruits doctors by appealing to administrative frustrations (MedPage Today)
|
|
|
Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill:
|
|
|
|
You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow!
|
400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001
|
Copyright © 1998 - 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.
No comments:
Post a Comment