Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Lawsuit Expands To Challenge All Of ACA's Preventive Care Coverage
Axios: ACA's Preventative Care Requirement Under Attack
Plaintiffs in an Affordable Care Act lawsuit are now asking a federal judge to toss all parts of the law requiring coverage of preventive health services. The filing raises the stakes in the closely watched case, Kelley v. Becerra: If U.S. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor sides with the plaintiffs, millions of Americans could lose coverage for cancer screenings, behavioral counseling and other recommendations made by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (Gonzalez, 10/25)
In other updates on ACA coverage —
The Hill: House Investigation Finds Insurers, Benefit Managers Improperly Limit Access To Birth Control
Some of the nation’s largest insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) impose coverage exclusions and other restrictions on birth control products, contrary to an Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement, according to a House investigation. Under the ACA, health plans must cover Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive products without cost-sharing. But a staff report from the Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee found insurers and PBMs required patients to pay some of the cost or otherwise limited coverage of more than 30 birth control products. (Weixel, 10/25)
Axios: HHS Reports Surge In Black, Latino ACA Health Care Enrollment Since 2020
Black and Latino Americans saw surges in enrollment in the federal government's health care marketplace between 2020 and 2022, according to a new report released by the Department of Health and Human Services. (Chen, 10/25)
On the effects of inflation on health insurance —
The Wall Street Journal: Health-Insurance Inflation Is Poised To Drop Sharply
Health insurance has put upward pressure on the main measure of inflation, but is now swinging into reverse. This swing will act as a much-needed, albeit small, drag on inflation currently running at four-decade highs, economists say. ... However, this swing—the result of a methodological quirk—might be offset by broader price pressures building in medical services as labor costs climb. (Guilford, 10/25)
