American Kidney Fund Statement on USPSTF Roster Updates

ROCKVILLE, Md. (Sept. 17, 2026)--Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the names of the new members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The American Kidney Fund is disappointed that HHS did not appoint a nephrologist, once again leaving millions of people at risk of kidney disease without a voice on the country's leading panel of national experts that set the standard for preventive healthcare guidelines in the U.S. 

Kidney disease affects one in seven U.S. adults and is one of the nation's fastest-growing health challenges, yet it remains underdiagnosed, and about 90% of patients with kidney disease do not know they have it. Because early kidney disease often does not cause symptoms, evidence-based screening and early intervention are among the most important opportunities to prevent kidney failure and its devastating consequences.

Additionally, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and kidney disease are now recognized as deeply interconnected, a framework the American Heart Association has formalized as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome. Nearly 90% of U.S. adults have at least one component of CKM syndrome. The absence of kidney expertise on the USPSTF leaves a significant gap in the nation's preventive health decision-making for a condition impacting a majority of Americans. 

The Task Force released a final research plan on kidney disease screening in 2023 but has not yet released a draft recommendation. We now have kidney-protective therapies that can slow disease progression and reduce cardiovascular risk, but only if kidney disease is found early enough to act on. Evaluating that evidence requires expertise in how kidney disease is detected, which populations are at greatest risk, and how emerging evidence should be interpreted.

A nephrologist on the Task Force would not predetermine any recommendation but would ensure the right questions are asked, the most current evidence is evaluated, and the recommendations are aligned with today's understanding of kidney disease. Without that expertise, we risk continuing a status quo in which preventive guidance lags behind scientific progress, contributing to delayed diagnosis, missed opportunities for intervention and preventable kidney failure. 

We encourage all members of the Task Force to ensure that preventive care recommendations are informed by the best available evidence and the expertise needed to address today's most pressing chronic diseases.