Federal District Judge of Texas Reed O’Connor last week vetoed private insurers that cover a number of preventative care services for free.
decision1 States, insurers and employers that operate plans for employees will have a choice about whether and how to cover certain routine screenings, exams and tests.
Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers are required to cover these services without out-of-pocket costs.
The 2007 appointee of former President George W. Bush has made several rulings against elements of the Affordable Care Act in the past, according to HuffPost.
This more recent ruling, however, only applies to preventive services such as cancer, diabetes, HIV and depression screenings, as well as preventative medications such as statins, vaccinations and HIV PreP and HPV.
It’s possible these decisions could require a $100 copay for cancers like colorectal or cervical cancer screening and end all coverage for PrEP.
According to the Post, one of the known reasons behind O’Connor’s decision was that requirements to cover PrEP and HPV vaccines violated Christians’ religious beliefs — in turn violating the Religious Restoration Freedom Act.
Employers who also argue that these provisions violate religious principles have said they condemn homosexuality and sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and a woman.
However, it appears that there is just as much, if not much more, support for these preventive care services, but it is still uncertain whether this legislation could shake the foundations.
For example, passage of this legislation would require the approval of the Republican House. It’s unclear what they think about the issue. The Biden administration is also expected to appeal the ruling and could block O’Connor’s order from taking effect until higher courts can rule on the dispute.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) has expressed concerns about this, as a large number of Americans benefit from services such as the Affordable Care Act – specifically, approximately 35 million people in 2022, according to the HHS.
The organization said it was deeply concerned that the move would create confusion among consumers about the coverage and cost of important prevention services, including screening for cancer, diabetes, HIV and depression. , as well as preventive medications.
BCBSMA encourages people receiving these services to continue to seek preventive care.
