U. S.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. is overhauling the nation's premier preventive health panel and preparing a new list of presumed Covid-19 vaccine injuries to streamline government compensation.
The Department of Health and Human Services postponed a scheduled July meeting for the United States Preventive Services Task Force until late August.
This marks the fourth time the Trump administration has blocked the panel from assembling since its last in-person meeting in March 2025.
Department spokeswoman Emily Hilliard confirmed the delay on Monday, citing an unprecedented number of nominations to serve on the task force.
She noted that additional time was needed to select and onboard new members.
The scheduling disruption follows a June 2025 Supreme Court ruling that allows Kennedy to unilaterally remove members and override decisions of the panel.
The task force normally guides doctors and dictates insurance coverage for millions of Americans.
Kennedy previously canceled task force meetings last July, last November, and this March.
He left multiple vacant seats unfilled and fired the panel's two chairs, John Wong and Esa Davis, in May.
Vaccine Compensation and Expert Concerns
While reshaping the independent screening group, Kennedy is also focusing on federal vaccine compensation systems by compiling a specific list of medical conditions presumed to be caused by Covid-19 shots.
Health policy experts have raised concerns that the restructuring could lead to the promotion of non-evidence-based guidelines that might cause more harm than good.
Kennedy described the previous process as "lackadaisical and negligent."
The secretary informed a Senate committee during a Capitol Hill appearance in April that his department had already begun receiving applications to add underrepresented medical specialists like oncologists and anesthesiologists.
Adam Carroll, president and CEO of health policy nonprofit AcademyHealth, said the changes are "no longer evidence-based or scientific."
He noted to Politico that while Kennedy indicated the panel could require insurance companies to cover more preventive screenings at no extra cost, these measures might lack scientific backing.
The American Medical Association expressed "deep concern" in a July 2025 statement regarding reports that Kennedy planned to replace all panel members.
The organization emphasized that the group plays a critical, non-partisan role in disease prevention.
The AMA urged the health department to "restore the USPSTF's long-standing, transparent process for selecting members, specifically clinicians with expertise in the fields of preventive medicine and primary care."
Following the dismissal of Wong and Davis, the association further implored the department to commit to regular meetings to ensure vital medical work continues without further delay.
