Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Doctors Sound Alarm Over Lawsuit Challenging ACA's Preventive Screenings
Stateline: Lawsuit Could End Free Preventive Health Checkups
A federal lawsuit heard in Texas last month could upend or even eliminate the preventive care requirement in the law, known as Obamacare or the ACA. A group of patients and employers are arguing that the requirement is unconstitutional. They also contend that some preventive health measures violate protections under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 that prohibit federal and state rules from unduly burdening one’s exercise of religion. (Ollove, 8/9)
NPR: Texas Lawsuit Targets Coverage For Preventive Care
"The lawsuit could cause millions of Americans, probably more than 150 million, to lose guaranteed access to preventive services," Dr. Jack Resneck, president of the American Medical Association, told NPR. "There's really a great deal at stake," he said. (Aubrey, 8/9)
MedPage Today: Federal Court Judge Mulls Challenge To ACA Preventive Care Mandates
Although the suit would invalidate the mandate for all preventive services -- including vaccines and cancer screenings -- some of the plaintiffs, which include eight individuals as well as an orthodontics practice and a management services company, seem to object more to certain services in particular. "[Four plaintiffs] do not need or want contraceptive coverage in their health insurance," the original complaint stated. "They do not want or need free STD [sexually transmitted disease] testing covered by their health insurance because they are in monogamous relationships with their respective spouses. And they do not want or need health insurance that covers Truvada or PrEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis] drugs because neither they nor any of their family members are engaged in behavior that transmits HIV." (8/8)
