Latest News On Preventive Services Task Force

Latest KFF Health News Stories

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': GOP Tries To Cut Billions in Health Benefits

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GOP-controlled House committees approved parts of President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” this week, including more than $700 billion in cuts to health programs over the next decade — mostly from Medicaid, which covers people with low incomes or disabilities. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before Congress for the first time since taking office and told lawmakers that Americans shouldn’t take medical advice from him. Julie Appleby of KFF Health News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

¿Mamografías a los 40? Nueva pauta para la detección del cáncer de seno genera debate

KFF Health News Original

Algunos médicos e investigadores que están interesados en un enfoque más individualizado para encontrar tumores problemáticos se muestran escépticos y plantean preguntas sobre los datos y el razonamiento detrás del cambio radical del Grupo de Trabajo de Servicios Preventivos de Estados Unidos

Mammograms at 40? Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Spark Fresh Debate

KFF Health News Original

There is no direct evidence that screening women in their 40s will save lives, yet modeling suggests expanding routine mammography to include them might avert 1.3 deaths per 1,000. Highlighting the risk of false positives, some specialists call for a more personalized approach.

Judge’s Decision Would Make Some No-Cost Cancer Screenings a Thing of the Past

KFF Health News Original

A U.S. District Court ruling overturned the section of the Affordable Care Act that makes preventive health services — from colonoscopies to diabetes screenings and more — available at no cost to consumers.

NIH Spearheads Study To Test At-Home Screening For HPV And Cervical Cancer

KFF Health News Original

The National Cancer Institute plans to launch a multisite study next year involving roughly 5,000 women to assess whether self-sampling at home for the human papillomavirus that causes cervical cancer is comparable to screening in a doctor’s office.

U.S. Medical Panel Thinks Twice About Pushing Cognitive Screening For Dementia

KFF Health News Original

Because seniors are at higher risk of cognitive impairment, proponents say screening asymptomatic older adults is an important strategy to identify people who may be developing dementia and to improve their care. But the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force cited insufficient evidence the tests are helpful.

Even When HIV Prevention Drug Is Covered, Other Costs Block Treatment

KFF Health News Original

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that people who are at high risk of contracting HIV take PrEP, a preventive treatment. The decision means most health plans will be required to cover the drugs without charging patients. But the recommendation doesn’t apply to the other clinical and lab services people need.

Treating Domestic Violence As A Medical Problem

KFF Health News Original

Health care professionals increasingly collaborate with anti-abuse advocates to identify victims and ensure they get the help they need. One women’s center is opening a shelter on the campus of a large public hospital in Los Angeles.

Prevention Experts Propose Easing Advice On Number Of Cervical Cancer Screenings

KFF Health News Original

A draft recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says women between ages 30 and 65 should get a Pap test every three years or an HPV screening every five years, but they don’t need to do both.