Still Free Preventative Affordable Care Services

At least one issue resolved by SCOTUS benefits the public. This ruling preserves a federal mandate for insurers to cover, without copays, certain preventive medical tests and treatment. Meanwhile Trumps bill of destruction is still alive and moving through Congress.

The case reached the Supreme court through the efforts of Braidwood Management, a Christian-owned firm. Braidwood objecting to how a provision of the 2010 ACA has been implemented. The Texas firm wanted to exclude coverage of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV and other preventive health services for religious objections. 

The ACA benefit allows people to obtain preventative healthcare services. One hundred and fifty-two million people in the US were able access preventive services without cost sharing in 2020 due to the mandate. Reducing insurance coverage for preventive services would “lead to worsening patient outcomes, resulting in preventable deaths, and creating higher long-term medical costs,” according to the groups in the brief.

“The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, ensuring, at least for now, that some 150 million people will continue getting many free, preventive services under the act.

The vote was 6-3, with Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh joining the court’s three liberal justices in the majority.

Siding with the government on Friday, the court upheld the Affordable Care Act, allowing the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to continue determining which services will be available free of cost to Americans covered by the Affordable Care Act.”

“Supreme Court Ruling Preserves Access to Preventive Services,” MedScape