Sign in Subscribe
Social services

HHS Postpones USPSTF Meeting Amid Government Shutdown

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has canceled a scheduled meeting of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) due to the ongoing government shutdown. The task force, formed to make recommendations for preventive services that health insurers must cover at no cost to enrollees under the Affordable Care Act, has not had a formal in-person meeting since March. The cancellation follows earlier reports that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was considering dismissing task force members for being too "woke" and replacing them with handpicked appointees.

Key Takeaways:

  • The USPSTF, a 16-member expert panel, has not met in person since March, with the next meeting postponed due to the government shutdown.
  • HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was reported to be considering dismissing task force members for being too "woke" and replacing them with handpicked appointees.
  • The Supreme Court upheld the structure of the task force in a case surrounding coverage of HIV prevention drugs, ruling that its members are accountable to the HHS secretary.
  • The cancellation of the USPSTF meeting and the postponement of a vaccine advisory panel meeting have raised concerns about the direction of public health policy under HHS Secretary Kennedy.
  • HHS has stated that it is investigating allegations of ideological issues with USPSTF members, as reported by GOP lawmakers and some health provider associations.
  • The USPSTF makes recommendations for preventive services, including HIV screening for adolescents and adults, tobacco cessation interventions, and breastfeeding support for postpartum moms.

Statistics:

  • The USPSTF meets in person three times a year, per its procedure manual.
  • The task force has not had a formal in-person meeting since March.
  • The Supreme Court upheld the structure of the task force in a case surrounding coverage of HIV prevention drugs in June 2025.
  • HHS has canceled the USPSTF meeting and postponed a vaccine advisory panel meeting.
  • 17 previous members of the vaccine advisory panel were ousted by Secretary Kennedy in June 2025.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff supporting the vaccine advisory panel were laid off in October 2025.

Sources:

  • Axios: https://www.axios.com/2025/06/27/scotus-upholds-preventive-services-mandate
  • Axios: https://www.axios.com/2025/07/09/rfk-jr-hhs-aca-uspstf-meeting
  • US Preventive Services Task Force: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/about-uspstf/methods-and-processes/procedure-manual/procedure-manual-section-1
  • The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/rfk-health-screening-panel-members-c308cbb0
  • The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/27/vaccines-rfk-jr-cdc-acip-panel

Read more