RFK Jr. appoints eight new members to US Preventive Services Task Force

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed eight new members to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, filling vacancies after more than a year of cancelled meetings and the firing of its top leadership. In a major departure from tradition, the new roster includes specialist physicians and a health finance expert rather than only primary care generalists. While supporters hope the overhaul revitalizes the panel, organizations like the American Medical Association and AcademyHealth have raised concerns about the loss of primary care voices, selection transparency, and depleted research support.

USPSTF membership appointments

• ▪The newly appointed members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force include Seth Corey, Patrick Hunter, Ronald Karlsberg, Venkatesh Murthy, Stephen Parente, Goldie Stands-Over-Bull, Louis Wilson, and Dennis Wulfeck
• ▪U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed eight new members to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on September 17, 2026
• ▪Seth Corey, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, was appointed to serve as the new chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
• ▪The eight new appointments made by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in September 2026 appear to round out the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to its full capacity of 16 experts

Specialist physician inclusion

• ▪Stephen Parente, a finance professor with expertise in health insurance and healthcare service valuation, was appointed to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force despite not holding a medical degree
• ▪The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force historically excluded nonprimary care doctors from joining the panel to avoid potential conflicts of interest tied to medical specialties
• ▪For the first time, physician specialists, including experts in oncology, cardiology, radiology, and gastroenterology, will join the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Primary care representation concerns

• ▪American Medical Association President Willie Underwood III stated that maintaining a strong primary care voice must remain central to the work of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
• ▪The American Medical Association emphasized that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's recommendations must continue to be based on a transparent, rigorous, and independent scientific process to maintain clinician trust

Kennedy task force criticism

• ▪Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly criticized the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, calling it 'lackadaisical' and 'negligent' during a House committee hearing in April 2026
• ▪Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the two top leaders of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, John Wong and Esa Davis, in May 2026

Panel meeting disruptions

• ▪The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has not met for more than a year, with scheduled meetings in July 2025, November 2025, March 2026, and July 2026 all being cancelled or postponed
• ▪A June 2026 U.S. Supreme Court decision affirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s authority over the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Selection process transparency questions

• ▪AcademyHealth noted that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which supports the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, has lost significant staff and canceled over 150 research grants over the past year
• ▪The nonprofit organization AcademyHealth raised questions regarding the transparency of how the new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force members were chosen and vetted

Debatable claims

• ▪The HHS Secretary should have the authority to dismiss members of the US Preventive Services Task Force
• ▪The US Preventive Services Task Force should prioritize early disease detection over strict evidence of clinical benefit
• ▪The US Preventive Services Task Force should include medical specialists