SCOTUS Allows Enforcement of ACA’s Preventive-Care Mandates But Opens Door for Political Influence: Key Points for Group Health Plans
The federal government may continue to enforce the Affordable Care Act’s preventive-care mandates, thanks to the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management . In a 6-3 bipartisan opinion written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, SCOTUS rejected constitutional challenges brought by a Texas business and others to the structure of a federal health task force that, as SCOTUS put it, issues “preventive-service recommendations of critical importance to patients, doctors, insurers, employers, healthcare organizations, and the American people more broadly.” But could the Court’s rationale make the coverage rules more susceptible to political influence? Here’s what employers and plan sponsors need to know about the June 27 decision and how it could impact group health plans. The ACA’s Preventive-Care Mandates and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force ACA Requirements. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires most group health plans to cover certain...