On July 9, the PCC joined 103 other organizations on a letter urging Congress to safeguard the integrity of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Led by Friends of AHRQ and AcademyHealth, the letter comes following the Kennedy v. Braidwood ruling, which reaffirmed the authority of the HHS Secretary to appoint and remove Task Force members at will. It is more critical than ever for Congress to protect the USPSTF from both intentional and unintentional political interference to ensure the continued strength of primary care and preventive health services.
Since its establishment in 1984, the USPSTF has played a vital role in advancing public health by providing evidence-based recommendations on clinical preventive services, including screenings, counseling, and preventive medications. The Task Force has issued nearly 300 recommendations through a rigorous, multi-step process in collaboration with the public, evidence-based practice centers, and experts in primary care and clinical research. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers are required to cover many of these USPSTF recommended services—such as lung cancer and diabetes screenings—at no cost to patients.
One key provision of the letter is the call to protect and preserve the USPSTF’s current structure and operations. One of these structures is the continued membership of primary care clinicians as experts and advisors. Primary care must remain in the center of evidence-based preventive care. Clinicians across the country rely on USPSTF recommendations to ensure they are providing the most up-to-date, evidence-based care to their patients. In order to ensure that clinicians and lawmakers continue to promote trusted, evidence-based preventive care for patients, Congress must protect the integrity of the United States Preventive Services Task Force.