 Health Care |
Health Care |
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Free preventive health services provision struck down |
The Affordable Care Act required that certain preventive services be covered by insurance companies for free. A federal judge in Texas has now ruled it unconstitutional. |
Under the ACA's provision, screenings for certain cancers as well as preventive medicines like PrEP for HIV were covered at no cost to patients. These were among roughly 100 services that the U.S Preventive Services Task Force recommended be covered without cost-sharing. But U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor ruled on Thursday that the panel itself was unconstitutional because its members were neither appointed by the president or confirmed by the Senate. About 100 million Americans make use of free preventive services every year and could now have to contend with paying for procedures or medications that they haven't expected to for years. The possibility of paying for costly tests or drugs is likely to deter many patients from seeking potentially life-saving services. Advocates and health organizations were quick to speak out against O'Connor's decision. "Today's ruling striking down the preventive services provision of the Affordable Care Act is a major setback to ending HIV as an epidemic and for improving the health of Americans by preventing the spread of other infectious diseases in the United States," the Infectious Diseases Society of America said in a statement.
John Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of the Small Business Majority advocacy group, said the ruling would "harm" the small business community. "We urge the Justice Department to appeal this decision swiftly to ensure those in the small business community can continue to access the comprehensive health coverage they depend on," Arensmeyer said.
An appeal by the Biden administration is likely, but an unsuccessful reversal could send ObamaCare before the Supreme Court once again. |
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. | |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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New York Times investigative reporter Hannah Dreier shot back at Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on Wednesday over his comments at a congressional hearing on the number of missing migrant children. Becerra faced several congressional hearings this week, and Republicans took the chance to grill him over reports of unaccompanied minor refugees being placed with sponsors who send them to work in poor conditions. … |
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| As experts and lawmakers attempt to reduce prescription drug costs in the United States, some are setting their sights on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the organizations that negotiate drug prices with insurance providers. Many patient advocates and industry experts see them as middlemen, only adding to the complication of the pharmaceutical industry and increasing costs. "There are too many people in the middle. Probably … |
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Prescriptions for stimulants used primarily to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, as access to the drugs expanded via telehealth opportunities, according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC study found that the percentage of adult males, as well as adolescent and adult females with employer-sponsored insurance, who got … |
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We perceive. We prepare. We protect. |
As a leader in the fight to help combat the opioid epidemic, Emergent remains committed to access, and awareness, of naloxone including for the most vulnerable patient populations at risk. Learn more. |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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Nearly 8 in 10 Americans said in a new poll that they would oppose the federal government raising the full retirement age for Social Security from 67 to 70. |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- States try to obscure execution details as drugmakers hinder lethal injection (USA Today)
- Michigan health system to pay $69 mln over claims of illegal referrals (Reuters)
- Louisiana plans to spend $196 million to check Medicaid enrollees' status (Louisiana Illuminator)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- $50 billion in opioid settlement cash is on the way. We're tracking how it's spent. (Kaiser Health News)
- Drug middlemen switch tactics, but the outcome is the same: high prices (Stat)
- Health research focus could give NIH competition for funding (Roll Call)
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We perceive. We prepare. We protect. |
As a leader in the fight to help combat the opioid epidemic, Emergent remains committed to access, and awareness, of naloxone including for the most vulnerable patient populations at risk. Learn more. |
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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Former President Trump was indicted on criminal charges in New York on Thursday for his role in organizing hush money payments made to an adult film … Read more |
| A hearing of the House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government descended into a shouting match on Thursday when Democrats raised … Read more |
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Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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