Health Care — Presented by CAPD — Appeals court to hear arguments on ObamaCare case

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View Online Health Care Health Care   PRESENTED BY  The Big Story  Court to hear arguments in ObamaCare preventive care case A federal appeals court on Tuesday will hear arguments about whether to continue a pause of a Texas district court's ruling that struck down an ObamaCare provision requiring insurers to cover preventive services for free. © Adobe Stock Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit temporarily paused Judge Reed O'Connor's decision until a panel could hear oral arguments on whether the stay should be continued during the appeals process.   The Biden administration will argue that keeping the stay in place until the court rules on the merits of the case won't cause the plaintiffs any harm and that the district court should not have granted relief to groups not party to the lawsuit.    The Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover more than 100 preventive health services recommended by the U.S Preventive Services Task Force. The provision is broadly popular and has been in effect since 2010.    A lawsuit put forward by a group of conservative Texas employers and individuals challenged that requirement, arguing the task force's members are not appointed by the president or confirmed by the Senate, yet its recommendations are binding. O'Connor agreed with most of the arguments, and his ruling invalidated the entire task force. O'Connor also invalidated the law's requirement that health plans cover HIV treatment. He said the mandate forced the plaintiff, a Christian employer and well-known GOP donor, to pay for insurance that violated his religious beliefs.  O'Connor's ruling applied nationwide, even though the lawsuit only concerned one company.   Keeping the stay in place would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to continue to mandate the requirement that most insurance companies cover the HIV prevention drug PrEP as well as a range of preventive services like annual physicals, cancer screenings and Pap tests with no cost-sharing for patients. The administration and public health advocates have warned that striking down the requirement for insurers and employers to cover preventive services without cost-sharing would jeopardize access to needed services for more than 150 million people. Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: Texas becomes largest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors Texas became the largest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors on Friday after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill into law. The law, which will take effect on Sept. 1, will prohibit health care providers from prescribing hormones or puberty blockers to minors or performing surgeries to help with their gender transition.  It includes an exception for youth currently receiving hormones or puberty blockers and those that …  Full Story Which virus is causing congestion, coughing in so many? Here's a hint: It's not COVID It's not a COVID surge, but lately, another respiratory infection going around is leaving many people coughing and checking their temperatures.  Full Story Senate hearing highlights child care crisis in the US There's concern from lawmakers that the child care crisis is getting worse. Senators and experts agree, child care is increasingly unaffordable for many Americans. Last week, lawmakers including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) asked experts how to both increase pay for childcare workers and lower the cost for parents.  Full Story A MESSAGE FROM COALITION OF AFFORDABLE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Our pharmacy benefit protects us from big drug companies Big drug companies keep raising prices. But my small business has a pharmacy benefit, saving us each $1,040 a year. Congress should focus on the real cause of high drug prices - Big Pharma. Learn more.  On Our Radar  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Wednesday holds a hearing on alleged CDC pandemic missteps. The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on consolidation in health care. The Senate HELP Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on the youth mental health crisis. An FDA panel on Thursday will review AstraZeneca's monoclonal antibody treatment for RSV. The Hill event  Cancer Care Access & Equity: Breaking Barriers to Innovation, June 8, 2-3 p.m. ET We live in a groundbreaking era of innovation in oncology, yet cancer continues to be the second leading cause of death in the United States. What obstacles stand in the way of optimal cancer care?      The Hill will bring together policymakers, health experts and patient advocates to discuss the changes to the cancer care delivery system, with the following speakers: Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.), Co-Chair of the Cancer Caucus and member of the House Ways & Means Committee; Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Co-Chair of the Cancer Caucus and Senior Member of the House Ways & Means Committee; and Dr. Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society; Dr. Danielle Carnival, coordinator for White House Cancer Moonshot; Ysabel Duron, president and executive director of The Latino Cancer Institute; and Dr. Daniel Derman, SVP of administration at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. RSVP NOW In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Hormone patches or creams for menopause symptoms may have lower blood pressure risk than pills WASHINGTON (AP) — Women often use hormone therapy to relieve hot flashes and other menopause symptoms — and new research suggests patches or creams may be safer for their blood pressure than pills. As women’s bodies produce lower levels of reproductive hormones during menopause their risk for heart disease rises. High blood pressure … Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: First measles case in Maryland since 2019 confirmed (The Hill) Why top abortion rights groups could sit out Arizona's key 2024 Senate race (The 19th) California confronts the threat of 'Tranq' as overdose crisis rages (KFF Health News) What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: FDA removes neurologist with financial ties to Eisai and Biogen from Alzheimer's advisory panel (Stat) Inside the complicated reality of being America's oldest president (The New York Times) What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: House Oversight leaders clash after viewing FBI document on Biden allegations House Oversight and Accountability Committee leaders briefed by the FBI on the details of a tip into potential wrongdoing by President Biden disagreed … Read more Axelrod: Manchin is 'dead man walking' in West Virginia  Former Obama White House senior political adviser David Axelrod says Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is "dead man walking" in West Virginia, where the senior … Read more What People Think  Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: In Florida, doctors can cite Succubus but educators can't teach Morrison Amid an epidemic of loneliness, nonprofits are helping keep veterans connected   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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