WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it will be deliberating on the reinstatement of certain preventative care coverage mandates under the Affordable Care Act, which were recently invalidated by a lower court ruling. The federal government sought an appeal to the Supreme Court following a decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that supported employers’ claims of not being obligated to provide comprehensive insurance coverage for preventative care measures such as medications for HIV prevention and certain cancer screenings. This ruling posed a significant challenge to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Opponents of the coverage requirements raised objections on grounds of religious beliefs and procedural concerns. Despite the lower court ruling, not all preventive care services were deemed to be at risk. According to an analysis conducted in 2023 by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a non-profit organization, specific preventive screenings like mammography and cervical cancer screening would continue to be covered without imposing out-of-pocket expenses on individuals.
However, the analysis identified several services and medications that might no longer be covered under the invalidated ruling. These included the provision of statins for heart disease prevention, screenings for lung cancer, HIV prevention measures, and medications aimed at reducing breast cancer risks in high-risk women.
As it stands, the coverage requirements are currently upheld except for the eight companies that initiated the lawsuit. The conservative-leaning 5th Circuit Court determined that the mandates for coverage were implemented unconstitutionally due to their origins from the United States Preventive Services Task Force, whose members did not go through the formal nomination process by the President and confirmation by the Senate.
The Supreme Court is set to review the case in the upcoming spring session, with potentially far-reaching implications for the future of preventative care coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
