Advocacy - Lab Advocate
On July 9, ADLM joined more than 100 health organizations in urging Congress to protect the integrity of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Since 1984, the USPSTF has issued nearly 300 evidence-based recommendations that guide preventive care nationwide, including many services essential to early detection and treatment for infants and children. These recommendations—such as newborn screening for certain genetic, endocrine, and metabolic disorders—help ensure timely diagnosis and intervention, often before symptoms appear.
The USPSTF’s guidance is the basis for no-cost coverage of preventive services under federal law, making them accessible to millions of Americans. Its process is intentionally rigorous, transparent, and nonpartisan: members are volunteer experts vetted for conflicts of interest, topics undergo comprehensive evidence review, and recommendations are developed with broad public input.
The letter warns that interference—whether intentional or unintentional—could undermine the Task Force’s credibility and disrupt access to lifesaving, evidence-based care. ADLM and other signatories urge Congress to preserve the USPSTF’s current structure and operations to protect both the trust clinicians place in its recommendations and the coverage patients rely on for critical services, including newborn screening.