The Supreme Court recently announced that they will hear a case that will decide the constitutionality of a key part of the Affordable Care Act, which gives a task force created under Obamacare the power to require insurers to provide free preventative medical services to patients.
The case will reportedly be heard in spring, with a ruling expected by the end of June. The Supreme Court will take on the case as a result of appeals made by both the Biden administration and challengers of the previous ruling by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals.
Last year, the New Orleans 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the mandates, which are presided over by the US Preventive Services Task Force, go against the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.
With an emphasis placed on the no-cost coverage requirements, the lower-class court claimed that the mandates go against the clause because the task force is not made up of members that are appointed by the president with Senate confirmation. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals also claimed that the 2010 law, which was passed by former President Barack Obama, violated the clause because the U.S. president cannot remove members from the task force.
ICYMI
— Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe) January 11, 2025
After conservative Texas employers challenged the mandate, the Supreme Court will review Obamacare’s no-cost coverage of preventive medicine measures.
So iikely we can forget free vaccines, mammograms, blood tests & statins. Not just birth control.
Pro life my ass.
“This Court’s review is warranted because the court of appeals has held an Act of Congress unconstitutional and its legal rationale would inflict immense practical harm,” wrote challenger US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar. “The decision threatens to disrupt a key part of the ACA that provides healthcare protections for millions of Americans.”
By challenging the mandate as the second term helmed by Trump looms into view, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling puts into danger a variety of medical services, including cancer screenings, flu vaccines, physical therapy, prenatal nutritional supplements and HIV drugs.
Obamacare is one of the most utilized insurance plans in the nation with enrollment recently hitting an all-time high. Per the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as of Jan. 2014, almost 50 million Americans are insured under the Affordable Care Act.
Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the rate of uninsured Black Americans has decreased significantly. Per the Department of Health and Human Services, the rate of uninsured nonelderly Black Americans dropped by 10% from nearly 21% in 2010 to 11% in 2022.
With the latest decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, Black Americans are expected to be one of the demographics most impacted by the proposed removal of no-cost coverage.
“Even modest out of pocket costs mean that people don’t end up seeking out these services,” said director of the O’Neill Institute’s Center for Health Policy and the Law at Georgetown University Zachary Baron per CNN. “They end up pushing things off as they’re trying to juggle various bills.”
