Federal Judge Strikes Down Obamacare ’ s Preventive Services Provision

A federal judge in Texas who previously ruled to dismantle the Affordable Care Act struck down a narrower but key part of the nation’s health law Thursday that requires most insurers to cover preventive services that include screenings for cancer, diabetes and mental health. Other no-cost services, including HIV screenings, are also impacted under the ruling by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor that opponents say will jeopardize preventive care for millions of Americans. Experts cautioned that insurers are unlikely to stop any coverage immediately. The Biden administration was expected to appeal and seek a stay of the ruling. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “This is not the potential fatal blow to the ACA like previous court cases, but it would limit a very popular benefit that tens of millions of people use,” said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. The decision comes more than four years after O’Connor, a nominee of former President George W. Bush, ruled that the entire health care law also known as “Obamacare” was unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned that ruling. This time O’Conner blocked only the requirement that most insurers cover a range of preventive care — including screenings for multiple types of cancer — siding with plaintiffs who include a conservative activist in Texas and a Christian dentist who opposed mandatory coverag...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Public Health wire Source Type: news