The Supreme Court will hear arguments in a lawsuit that could severely undercut health insurance coverage of preventive care, justices announced Friday.
The case, known as Braidwood v. Becerra because Xavier Becerra is a defendant in his capacity as Health and Human Services secretary, challenges the legality of provisions from the Affordable Care Act of 2010 that require insurers to cover interventions recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force without out-of-pocket costs.
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A decision for the plaintiffs would upend a key, and popular, aspect of the ACA, which applies to an array of preventive care from cancer screenings to contraception. Healthcare industry groups strongly objected to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruling that invalidated this element of the law in 2023.
Two employers, Braidwood Management and Fort Worth Texas-based Kelley Orthodontics, and six individual plaintiffs contend that the task force should not have the authority to dictate health insurance benefits. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld the lower court decision last year, prompting both parties to seek a Supreme Court review.