PrEP4All Responds After RFK Jr. Dismisses USPSTF Members, Raising Alarm Over Preventive Care Protections
NEW YORK, NEW YORK — THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2026 — PrEP4All, the national nonprofit organization focused on expanding access to HIV prevention and the creation of a national federally-funded PrEP program, today responded to reports that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed two members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the independent panel of medical experts whose recommendations help determine insurance coverage protections for preventive healthcare services under the Affordable Care Act.
According to reporting from The New York Times, Dr. John Wong and Dr. Esa Davis were removed following recent comments from Kennedy signaling his intent to overhaul the Task Force — alarming health advocates who warn the move could threaten access to PrEP, HIV testing, cancer screenings, diabetes screenings, mental health interventions, and other lifesaving preventive care services.
Statement by PrEP4All executive director Jeremiah Johnson:
“The affordability of preventive care for more than 150 million Americans is increasingly vulnerable to RFK Jr.’s chaotic and politicized approach to healthcare. His dismissal of two U.S. Preventive Services Task Force members underscores just how fragile insurance coverage protections have become at a moment when Americans can least afford unexpected healthcare costs. Services like cancer screenings, diabetes screenings, mental health interventions, PrEP, and HIV testing should never be subject to political interference. We are urging Congress to put meaningful guardrails in place to protect the Task Force’s independence and ensure preventive care recommendations remain grounded in science and medical expertise.”
Last month, PrEP4All joined more than 40 organizations in urging Congress to protect the integrity and independence of the USPSTF and preserve its evidence-based review process. Advocates are now encouraging community members nationwide to contact Congress and demand protections for the Task Force and continued access to preventive healthcare coverage.
PrEP4All is urging advocates and patients nationwide to contact their House representatives and Senators and demand immediate protections for the independence of the USPSTF. Community members can send a pre-written letter to Congress in under two minutes through PrEP4All’s latest action alert campaign:
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About PrEP4All: PrEP4All is a national advocacy organization founded in 2018 and led by patients, healthcare professionals, and policy experts working to expand access to lifesaving HIV prevention and treatment. Grounded in lived experience and inspired by the legacy of ACT UP, PrEP4All uses direct action, media, and policy advocacy to lower drug costs and advance a national strategy to end the HIV epidemic in the United States.
