How Proposed Changes to the USPSTF Could Threaten Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

In the weeks following the Supreme Court’s decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood, the U.S. health policy and medical communities are ringing alarm bells over potential sweeping changes to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. These developments have far-reaching implications for cancer prevention, early detection, and the integrity of America’s evidence-based public health infrastructure.

On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional structure of the USPSTF, affirming that its members are properly appointed “inferior officers” and confirming the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that private insurers must cover, with no cost-sharing, preventive services recommended by the USPSTF. However, the Court also made explicit the powerful oversight authority of the HHS Secretary—now Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—to remove and replace any USPSTF member at will and to require vetting or blocking of Task Force recommendations before they are adopted.

According to multiple reports, Kennedy Jr. plans to remove all 16 experts who comprise the USPSTF, criticizing the panel as too “woke” and indicating he may repopulate it with members who align with his personal health policy vision. Task force meetings have already been abruptly canceled, and healthcare experts, major physician groups, and coalitions like Friends of AHRQ are warning that this move would jeopardize decades of trusted, science-based preventive recommendations.

Kennedy took a similar action in June when he replaced all members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP.

Changes to the USPSTF could have impacts on recommendations and insurance coverage for cancer screening and early detection.

Key Functions of the USPSTF:

• Reviews scientific evidence to determine which screening and preventive services improve population health.
• Issues recommendations that dictate what preventive services must be covered by insurers at no cost to patients under the ACA.

Potential Impact on Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

Multiple cancer screenings have received recommendations from USPSTF including colonoscopy, Pap smears, HPV tests, low-dose CT for lung cancer, and mammograms. Recommendations are also in place supporting tobacco cessation counseling, BRCA testing, and skin cancer prevention counseling for some higher risk individuals.

Removing independent experts raises the risk that recommendations will be shaped by ideology or special interests, not rigorous medical evidence. Cancer screenings, which save countless lives each year, could be deprioritized or made subject to less rigorous review, reducing public trust and uptake of these essential services.

Additionally, the USPSTF’s primary power is its ability to require insurers to cover evidence-based screenings at no charge. If the independence of the Task Force is compromised, future recommendations might exclude life-saving early detection tests, making them more costly—or unavailable—to at-risk groups without the means to pay.

In Nevada, many of these screenings have been codified in state law, requiring insurers to cover them. However, coverage in some cases still relies on recommendations from leading health organizations including USPSTF or others such as American Cancer Society. Through research and community engagement, NCC knows that cost can be a barrier for some people in accessing preventive care and cancer screenings.

Routine cancer screenings have also played a pivotal role in narrowing racial and socioeconomic disparities in cancer outcomes. For example, expanded access to no-cost mammograms and colon cancer screenings can greatly benefit African Americans, who are more likely to be diagnosed with and die from both colorectal and breast cancers. Any upheaval in these federal protections endangers hard-won progress toward health equity.

Friends of AHRQ Coalition: A Call for Preservation

In response, the Friends of AHRQ Coalition and numerous medical organizations are urging Congress to “protect and preserve the USPSTF’s current structure and operations to ensure that everyone continues to benefit from trusted, scientifically grounded recommendations for preventive care.” They warn that political interference could undermine both the credibility of preventive medicine and Americans’ access to cost-effective, life-saving screenings.

The ultimate outcome of these proposed changes rests with both the administration and Congress. Lawmakers and advocacy groups are calling for transparency and for decisions regarding public health to be guided by science, not politics. At a time when cancer rates are rising in certain populations, the American public cannot afford to lose the protections—enshrined through the USPSTF—that have improved survival rates and reduced suffering through evidence-based early detection.