Kennedy’s move to cancel preventive health task force meeting raises alarm

Anxiety is growing after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly postponed a meeting this week with a panel that advise the agency about preventative health services and screenings.

If you’ve ever been given a free or low-cost test for lung, breast, colon or cervical cancer which caught a tumor, it’s likely due to a panel of 16 doctors and public health experts who reviewed the evidence and determined that a screening could save your life.

That’s why anxiety is growing after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly postponed a meeting this week with the highly influential United States Preventive Services Task Force, a group of 16 independent volunteers that advise the agency about preventative health services and screenings, including mammograms, HIV prevention medications, recommending support for new moms to breastfeed and lifestyle interventions for heart disease. Health insurance plans are required to cover the task force’s recommendations under the Affordable Care Act.

The meeting, scheduled for July 10, was postponed without explanation.

In an emailed statement, Andrew Nixon, an HHS spokesperson, declined to say why the meeting was canceled or whether it would be rescheduled. He did not respond to a follow-up request for comment.

An HHS notice sent Monday afternoon to task force members said the agency “looks forward to engaging with the task force to promote the health and well-being of the American people,” according to two people familiar with the task force meeting.