RFK Jr. Fires Leaders of Preventative Services Advisory Panel

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. terminated the appointments of two vice-chairs of a key advisory committee that helps determine free preventive coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

The firings follow a series of comments Kennedy made about the panel, calling it “lackadaisical.” Kennedy previously overhauled the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel and installed several vaccine skeptics.

John Wong and Esa Davis, vice chairs of the US Preventive Services Task Force, were notified of their termination May 11, according to letters obtained by Bloomberg Law. Kennedy cited “implementation of updated governance and oversight procedures” as the reason and said the removal followed a review of USPSTF appointments “to avoid uncertainty that could jeopardize the validity of future Task Force actions.”

Kennedy said in letters to Wong and Davis that the decision was “administrative in nature and is unrelated to your performance.”

A Department of Health and Human Services official confirmed the terminations Wednesday. The two members were invited to reapply to the panel.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Director Roger Klein said the removals reflect Kennedy’s authority under the US Supreme Court’s decision in Braidwood v. Kennedy—which confirmed the secretary’s ability to hire and fire task force members at will—in an email viewed by Bloomberg Law.

Wong and Davis in an email asked Rogers to clarify how the decision impacted the validity of their appointments and what new oversight procedures prompted their firing.

Wong is the vice chair of academic affairs at the Department of Medicine at Tufts Medical Center. His appointment was scheduled to expire in March 2027, according to the doctors’ letter.

Davis holds multiple positions at the University of Maryland, including associate vice president for community health. Her term was set to expire in March 2028.

The task force provides recommendations to HHS on the effectiveness of preventative services such as cancer screenings and HIV medications. Recommendations that receive an A or B rating from the USPSTF must be covered with no cost-sharing by insurers under the Affordable Care Act.

Applications for the new term are due by May 23 to start in July.