Critics Say USPSTF Failure on Kidney Screening Stems from Its Own Inertia

In a recent commentary, former USPSTF leaders Michael Silverstein and John Wong claim that the task force’s silence on kidney disease screening is a product of its own institutional inertia, not the result of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent leadership changes. They point out that while the panel boasts successes in cancer and HIV prevention, it has long declined to recommend routine kidney testing despite abundant research and a presidential mandate from Donald Trump to advance kidney health.

The omission has led to emergency-room diagnoses, soaring dialysis costs exceeding $30 billion annually, and a broader workforce crisis. New FDA-approved therapies and advanced biomarkers now make early detection feasible, yet the USPSTF has not incorporated these advances. The authors urge the creation of a citizen-centered advisory group that includes nephrologists, transplant experts, and patients, citing the American Association of Kidney Patients’ call for a complete overhaul. They argue that trust in preventive guidance requires decisive action, not decades of stagnation.