A federal judge in Texas ruled last week that insurers no longer have to cover some preventive services that have long been included under the Affordable Care Act. It’s a frustrating decision that will likely hurt Americans’ health. At least some insurers are likely to take the opportunity to cut back on lifesaving care. About 60% of privately-insured people — that’s about 100 million Americans — receive preventive care under the ACA.
The last thing the U.S. needs is more barriers to basic health care. In December, the CDC said that life expectancy in the U.S. hit its lowest point in over two decades. And it’s not just adults dying younger — kids are too. Attacking preventive care will only worsen this long-term trend, which easily predates the COVID pandemic.
There’s been some confusion around which services the ruling affects. The holding by Judge Reed O’Connor only applies to recommendations made by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of doctors, after 2010, as Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, explained in a press briefing. But that puts coverage of a swath of more recently recommended services at risk, including screening for lung and skin cancer, preventive drugs for women at high risk of developing breast cancer, coverage of cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood pressure screening.
