A group of 17 Senators penned a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seeking more information on recent appointments to a key health panel—echoing concerns of key medical groups.
In the letter (PDF), the legislators called the appointments a “major break from the historic makeup of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) membership,” as it is typically comprised of primary care practitioners and preventionists.
Kennedy named eight new members to the USPSTF in mid-September—five of which were specialists and one healthcare finance expert. The new appointments came months after Kennedy dismissed the panel’s vice chairs and did not replace five other members after their terms expired at the start of 2026.
Legislators expressed concerns over an April 23 Federal Register notice seeking nominations for the panel given the change in nominee parameters—outside of primary care and preventive medicine—and timeline. The letter notes members in specialty areas have “always played a role” in the panel’s operations, though primarily in consultant roles in part to avoid conflicts of interest.
“Specialists are expected to have deep expertise in their specialty area, but do not have the same level of expertise needed to make broad primary care and preventive care recommendations,” the letter read.
The USPSTF is made up of 16 volunteer members who are nationally recognized experts in prevention, evidence-based medicine and primary care. Members are appointed by the HHS secretary and serve staggered four-year terms to ensure all are not appointed by the same administration.
The panel was established in 1984 to make recommendations to general practice physicians and public health bodies on preventive care. Federal policymakers rely on USPSTF recommendations, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
And, insurers must provide cost-free coverage for preventive services that have been recommended by the USPSTF, such as lung and colorectal cancer screenings, behavioral counseling, prevention of maternal depression and more.
The application window was also changed from its typical one-year long process to one month. “This rushed process not only calls into question the seriousness of this nominations process, but also whether the Members ultimately selected may have been pre-determined,” the letter read.
The legislators note the transparency of the process “was marred from the start” given Kennedy’s dismissal of the panel’s vice chairs—as they review and make recommendations for nominations—and “calls into question the political independence and transparency of the recent appointment process.”
The panel’s conflict of interest webpage is inactive as of Oct. 7.
Moreover, the group expressed “strong concerns” over the new panel’s ability to make recommendations given its historic broad nature and not all specialties are reflected by new members.
“This predictable imbalance is partly why the Task Force traditionally relied on specialists exclusively as consultants for relevant reviews,” the letter read.
The ability of USPSTF to conduct its work given cuts at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was another paint point for legislators. AHRQ staff conducts evidence reviews, and the letter notes approximately 80% of its staff have been fired or left without being replaced.
A group of Senators also wrote to Kennedy expressing concerns over “politicization” of the panel in March and have not received a response, the Oct. 5 letter read. The group is requesting a response to the previous letter and a series of questions by Oct. 15.