The Supreme Court heard arguments in the Kennedy v. Braidwood Management case April 21. The lawsuit argues against upholding an ACA provision requiring private health insurers to provide free coverage for preventive services, NBC News reported April 18.
Since the ACA passed in 2010, services such as cancer screenings, and medications to prevent heart disease and HIV, have been available at no cost to patients.
Eight Texas employers filed the lawsuit in 2022, arguing that providing free coverage of the HIV prevention pill PrEP violated their religious rights as Christians. They also argued it was unconstitutional for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to provide preventive coverage recommendations, as its members are not appointed by the president or confirmed by Congress, the NBC News report said.
In 2024, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Texas employers but did not require the rule to be upheld nationwide.
The Trump administration said previously it plans to defend the preventive coverage requirement.
Several of the justices “seemed unpersuaded” by the argument that task force members must appointed by the president, according to an April 21 NBC News report.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on the case is expected in June.
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