HHS Appoints Eight New Members to Preventive Task Force

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has appointed eight new members to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The appointments, announced on a Thursday, reshape the influential panel responsible for developing evidence-based recommendations on preventive services like screenings and counseling.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Stated the move aims to strengthen the group. We are strengthening the task force to ensure it asks hard questions, follows the evidence wherever it leads and maintains the highest standards of scientific integrity, he said in a press release.

New Appointees and Leadership

The new members join eight existing ones. Seth J. Corey, MD, MPH, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at Cleveland Clinic, was appointed and will also serve as the task force's chair. This selection marks a departure from tradition, as past chairs have typically first completed a standard four-year term as a task force member.

The other seven new appointees are:

The appointments follow a period of turnover. The task force has not met since March 2025 and last issued guidance in July 2025. In May, Secretary Kennedy fired the previous chair and vice chair, stating they had been "inappropriately appointed."

Backgrounds and Potential Influence

Some of the new members' backgrounds have prompted questions from medical societies. New chair Seth J. Corey has publicly shown support for Secretary Kennedy online. In another instance, Patrick K. Hunter has ties to organizations with critical views of gender-affirming care and served on the Florida Board of Medicine when it developed restrictions for such care for youth.

The task force has not previously issued recommendations for or against gender-affirming care but uses a gender-inclusive process in its work. It is unclear how a member's personal views might influence future guidance.

Another appointee, Stephen T. Parente, a professor of finance, was selected for his expertise in evaluating the cost and value of healthcare services. This is notable because the USPSTF's website states that cost is "not a factor in determining recommendation grades." HHS also cited his knowledge of technologies and their impact on care delivery.

Medical Community Reaction

The American Medical Association expressed concern about the new composition. AMA President Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH, said the credible work of the task force has been built on a membership grounded in prevention and primary care. He stated the new group represents a significant departure from the task force’s traditional membership and emphasized that maintaining a strong primary care voice is central to its trusted work.

Other groups pointed to specific gaps. The American Kidney Fund noted its disappointment that the new task force does not include an expert in kidney disease, as a draft recommendation on chronic kidney disease screening is among 14 pending finalization. The organization warned that without such expertise, preventive guidance could lag, leading to delayed diagnoses and preventable kidney failure.

The task force now faces the immediate work of finalizing its backlog of draft recommendations under its new leadership and membership structure.