The Trump administration’s efforts to influence U.S. medical practice have drawn new attention to the United States Preventive Services Task Force.
Little known by the public, the USPSTF plays an important role in U.S. primary care and health insurance coverage, evaluating a broad body of scientific research to make evidence-based recommendations about ways to prevent disease and prolong life. Under a provision in the Affordable Care Act, health insurers are required to cover the full cost of services that are highly recommended by the USPSTF.
The USPSTF is made up of 16 volunteer members drawn from several disciplines of medicine, including primary care, behavioral health, geriatrics, internal medicine, nursing, obstetrics and gynecology, preventive medicine, and pediatrics. Members, who are appointed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, traditionally serve staggered four-year terms so that more experienced members can train newer ones.
Many physicians value and strongly support the work of the USPSTF, even in cases where they question a particular recommendation — such as when it raised the recommended age for when mammogram screenings should start.
That’s why they have raised alarms about the prospect of major changes to the task force. Many medical professionals have feared changes to USPSTF following U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy’s June ouster of the 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices. Housed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ACIP offers recommendations that shape insurance coverage of vaccines.
It’s important for journalists covering health care in the U.S. to ground themselves in background information about the USPSTF. Here we’ll address five questions, including:
How does the panel produce its reports and recommendations?
What are USPSTF grades, and why do they matter for health care access and insurance coverage?
What are the possible implications of a recent Supreme Court decision about the USPSTF?
What are the “mammography wars”?
Read the full article at journalistsresource.org.
