Health Panel Hold‑Up Slows New Cancer Screening Rules

The U. S. Health Secretary has put a pause on the preventive‑care panel that shapes free medical tests, and experts say this delay is pushing back new cancer screening rules. The panel, which was created in 1984, decides which routine tests—like cancer or heart disease checks—are covered by health plans at no cost. When it stops making recommendations, insurers can choose whether to add those services or not. Since the panel’s last meeting over a year ago, three scheduled sessions have been cancelled and five members whose terms ended in December have not yet been replaced. Without fresh experts, the group can’t review or update its guidance.Early detection saves lives and money, but the upfront costs of tests such as mammograms can reach about $7, 000 over a lifetime for an average‑risk woman. The panel normally releases roughly 22 sets of recommendations each year, yet only seven drafts were posted last year and none have come out this year. Senators recently urged the Health Secretary to support the panel, citing concerns that a weakened task force could undermine evidence‑based care. The move fits a broader agenda to cut federal health regulation and reduce required benefits under the Affordable Care Act. If the panel does not publish new rules, insurance plans may leave out important screenings and preventive drugs. Patients could face higher out‑of‑pocket costs for newer HIV prevention shots, while updates on prostate cancer screening and vitamin D use remain stalled.