Health Care Win: Supreme Court Saves Free Preventive Services

The Supreme Court made a big decision recently. They said that a key part of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is still good to go. This means that around 150 million people can keep getting free preventive services. The court voted 6-3 in favor of this. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh joined the liberal justices to make this happen. The case was about a group that wanted to get rid of the free preventive care. They said the way the task force that picks these services was appointed was not right. But the Supreme Court said no. They said the Health and Human Services Secretary can appoint these members. Justice Kavanaugh wrote the decision. He said the Secretary is in charge and answers to the President. So, the chain of command is good. This is a big deal because the ACA has been around for 11 years. Many people have come to expect these free services. If the court had said no, these benefits could have gone away. The case started when the task force said PrEP drugs are important to prevent HIV. Without the ACA, these drugs and related care would be too expensive for most people. Some people and businesses sued because they didn't agree with the PrEP mandate. They said it goes against their religious beliefs. The main group suing was led by Steven Hotze. He has been against the ACA before and has said some pretty harsh things about the LGBTQ+ community. The court's decision means other preventive services are safe too. Things like blood pressure screenings, birth control, cancer screenings, and immunizations. Before this decision, people were worried. They thought without the ACA, these services would cost too much. And people might not get the care they need. Two lower courts in Texas had said the government did something wrong. They said the task force members should be appointed by the President, not the Health Secretary. But the Supreme Court said no. They said the task force is not made of principal officers. They are inferior officers. So, the Secretary can appoint them. Plus, the task force members are supervised by the Secretary. And they can be fired at any time.