Leading Physician Groups: USPSTF Must Preserve Access to Care
For immediate release: Sept. 21, 2026
The statement below is issued by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the American Osteopathic Association and the American Psychiatric Association, who represent more than 400,000 physicians and medical students:
Access and coverage for preventive care services matters to everyone. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force plays an integral role in helping physicians make the best evidence-based recommendations for their patients.
The health of Americans depends on the new USPSTF maintaining its stature as a trusted source of evidence-based clinical guidance for the medical community. Our organizations stand ready to support work that ensures patients can access important preventive services—from cancer screenings to counseling to immunizations—without cost.
###
About the American Academy of Family Physicians
The AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 124,500 physicians and medical students. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on impactful care for people of all ages, races and genders across all medical conditions. The AAFP supports every stage of a family physician's career and provides evidence-based resources, advocacy and community to empower family medicine. To learn more, visit aafp.org. For information about health care, medical conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s patient education website, familydoctor.org.
About the American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. aap.org
About the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) is the leading professional membership organization for ob-gyns. For nearly 75 years, ACOG has set the standard for ob-gyn care and advocated for policies that advance the field and empower ob-gyns to provide patients with the care they need. With more than 62,000 members, ACOG equips clinicians with expert-reviewed clinical guidance, practice management tools, career development resources, and lifelong professional education, and creates trusted, accessible information for patients. ACOG champions ob-gyns in providing equitable, evidence-based care for patients today and into the future. Learn more about ACOG at acog.org.
About the American Osteopathic Association
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 200,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; and serves as the primary certifying body for DOs. To learn more about DOs and the osteopathic philosophy of medicine, visit www.osteopathic.org.
About the American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 40,400 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.