Supreme Court Upholds Key Aspects of Obamacare's Preventive Care Coverage
In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld critical components of Obamacare, preserving preventive care coverage for approximately 150 million Americans.
Overview
- The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to uphold key parts of Obamacare's preventive care coverage requirements, impacting around 150 million Americans.
- Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the majority opinion, while Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, joined by Justices Alito and Gorsuch.
- The ruling affirms the authority of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to recommend no-cost preventive services under the Affordable Care Act.
- Christian-owned businesses challenged the federal health task force's recommendations, but the Supreme Court rejected their claims of unconstitutional power.
- This decision marks the Supreme Court's continued support for the Affordable Care Act, maintaining its provisions against conservative legal challenges.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act as a significant preservation of health care coverage, emphasizing its impact on millions. They present a balanced view of the legal arguments, highlighting both the majority and dissenting opinions, while subtly supporting the ACA's preventive care provisions.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to uphold a key provision of the Affordable Care Act.
Christian-owned businesses filed a lawsuit challenging the legality and power of a task force's recommendations.
The ruling guarantees access to and protection of preventive care services under the ACA.
The task force, supervised by the health and human services secretary, operates within the Department of Health and Human Services and is appointed by the HHS secretary.
The challengers argued that the task force's structure was unlawful due to improper appointments, but the court disagreed with two lower courts' findings that the appointments were unconstitutional.
The court's decision allows the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to continue determining and proposing free Obamacare services.
Articles (11)
Center (6)
"…This is a relief to public health advocates and medical groups who had said cancellation of the United States Preventive Services Task Force and invalidation of its recommendations would be devastating to Americans' health."
ABC News·4d·"…The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, ensuring, at least for now, that some 150 million people will continue getting many free, preventive services under the act."
NPR·4d·"…The Supreme Court on June 27 rejected the latest conservative challenge to the 2010 Affordable Care Act, an attack on free access to cancer screenings, drugs that prevent HIV, cholesterol-lowering medication and other preventive health care services."
USA TODAY·4d·"…The Supreme Court preserved a key part of the Affordable Care Act’s preventive health care coverage requirements on Friday, rejecting a challenge from Christian employers to the provision that affects some 150 million Americans."
Associated Press·4d·"…The Supreme Court's ruling preserves the structure of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, ensuring that essential preventive services remain available to patients at no cost under the Affordable Care Act."
CBS News·4d·"…The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a challenge to an Affordable Care Act provision that set up a panel to recommend preventive care services that insurers must provide at no cost to patients."
NBC News·4d·FAQ
The ruling protects preventive services such as cancer screenings, heart disease medications, and HIV prevention drugs like PrEP, which must be covered by insurers without cost-sharing under the Affordable Care Act.
Christian-owned businesses challenged the law by claiming that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force was unconstitutionally appointed and wielded too much power, arguing that its members should be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate as 'principal officers' under the Constitution's appointments clause.
The ruling upholds the Task Force’s authority but also affirms the Health and Human Services Secretary’s significant oversight role, including the ability to remove members and modify rulings, which may challenge the Task Force’s independence and credibility in making preventive care recommendations.
This ruling marks the fourth time in 13 years that the Supreme Court has rejected major challenges to the Affordable Care Act, continuing the Court's general pattern of upholding key provisions of the law against conservative legal challenges.
History
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