Alzheimer's screening push stalls as federal panel stays sidelined
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calls for better Alzheimer’s screening, but the USPSTF—an influential panel that guides research and insurance coverage—has not met for more than a year due to vacancies and political appointee firings, delaying recommendations and funding decisions. Experts say evidence for routine cognitive screening remains mixed, while Kennedy and others push for faster action and more research into screening tools and biomarkers. Funding freezes and policy shifts have slowed Alzheimer’s research centers, and scientists caution against broadly rolling out new tests like the P-Tau217 biomarker without robust validation, even as millions live with the disease.