Kennedy fires leaders of key health task force

The Trump administration has fired two leaders of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an influential panel of experts who determine what medical screenings and procedures insurance companies must cover for millions of Americans at no cost.

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The two leaders, Dr. John Wong and Dr. Esa Davis, received letters notifying them of their firings May 11. The New York Times obtained copies of the letters.

In the letters, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote that he had “directed a review” of USPSTF appointments “to ensure clarity, continuity, and confidence in the Department’s exercise of its appointment and supervisory responsibilities, and to protect the integrity of the Task Force’s work.” He goes on to say that Wong’s and Davis’ appointments are terminated “effective immediately” in order to “avoid uncertainty that could jeopardize the validity of future Task Force actions.”

The task force assesses scientific evidence and makes recommendations on a wide range of medical services, including mammograms, colonoscopies, depression screenings and more. Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans must fully cover services that it assigns an “A” or “B” grade. That gives the panel significant influence over the care Americans can afford.

The letters say the terminations are not related to the leaders’ performance and that they are free to reapply for positions on the task force.

In response to a request for comment, Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, referred to the letters. Wong and Davis did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Public health experts have been worried for much of the past year that Kennedy would summarily remove members of the task force as he did last year with a panel that reviews vaccines.

Aaron Carroll, president of AcademyHealth, a nonpartisan group that promotes evidence-based health policy and previously urged Kennedy not to interfere with USPSTF, said the task force’s credibility depended on “transparent and rigorous procedures” both for appointing members and for evaluating evidence.

By firing its leaders before their terms had ended, the Trump administration is “tampering with the critical infrastructure” that makes it possible for Americans to trust government healthcare systems, Carroll said.

Last month, Kennedy said he planned to reform the panel, which he called “lackadaisical and negligent.” Over the past year, Kennedy has undermined the task force’s work by indefinitely postponing its last three meetings and not replacing members whose terms were scheduled to end in December.

The committee issued fewer recommendations last year because it was unable to meet, and it did not publish a legally mandated annual report to Congress on gaps in scientific evidence — a report that helps guide what research the federal government funds.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.