The Preventive Health Advisory Panel's March meeting, responsible for determining cancer screenings and other preventive health measures covered by insurers, has been postponed for the third time. This 16-member panel, which usually holds three annual meetings, last convened in March 2025. The November 2025 meeting was canceled due to a government shutdown, and the July 2025 meeting was abruptly canceled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon confirmed the postponement without providing a reason. Concerns have been raised since last year about Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s potential disbanding of the panel as part of his efforts to reshape U.S. regulation of vaccines, food, and medicine. Kennedy previously replaced members of vaccine and autism policy panels with handpicked individuals, including vaccine skeptics. The USPSTF, established 40 years ago, plays a crucial role in determining which medical tests and treatments, such as breast cancer screening and HIV prevention drugs, are provided cost-free under most health insurance plans. Critics, including some conservatives, have labeled the panel as too left-leaning. A group of 104 health organizations, including the American Medical Association, has urged Congress to protect the panel's integrity. The USPSTF's annual report, which outlines research funding priorities, has not been published for the past year.
