Health Advocacy Groups Urge SCOTUS to Protect Free Preventive Healthcare Services
United States of Care (USofCare) together with 47 other health advocacy groups filed an amicus brief on February 25 in Kennedy v. Braidwood (formerly Braidwood v. Becerra) urging the Supreme Court of the United States to protect access to free preventive services for nearly 151 million people ahead of oral arguments expected in April.
Simultaneously, Lambda Legal, GLAD Law, and Mintz, alongside other leading HIV, LGBTQ+ organizations, have also submitted an amicus brief. The brief highlights the devastating public health consequences of undermining access to PrEP, a medication that reduces the risk of HIV transmission by 99 percent, GLAD Law stated.
Andrew Twinamatsiko, Zachary Baron, and Sheela Ranganathan explained the background of the Braidwood Management, Inc. v. Becerra case in a December 23 article for Health Affairs. “The government is asking the Supreme Court to decide whether the structure of the US Preventive Services Task Force (the “Task Force”)—a group of nationally recognized experts who recommend services that virtually all private insurers must cover for free—is constitutional.”
Healthcare Innovation’s Mark Hagland reported on January 2 that the legal dispute hinges on whether the Task Force members are “principal officers” or “inferior officers.” “The distinction matters,” Hagland explained, “because the plaintiffs’ legal argument is based on their contention that the Task Force members are 'principal officers' whose appointments should have been confirmed by the U.S. Senate.”
"Stripping away access to free preventive services would not only put a price on services that have been free for people for over a decade, it would be forcing people to weigh the cost of healthcare against the cost of essentials like groceries and gas in yet another aspect of our health care system,” said USofCare CEO and Co-Founder Natalie Davis, in a statement. “The Supreme Court has the obligation to hand down a ruling that affirms the preventive services mandate and delivers a sigh of relief for the almost 151 million people who have anxiously held their breath as this case moves through the courts.”
“At a time when millions are calling for more affordable healthcare and economic stability for their families, we should be expanding healthcare coverage—not cutting it. Instead, we’re fighting yet another baseless legal battle that puts preventive care for millions at risk,” said Mona Shah, senior director of Policy and Strategy at Community Catalyst, in a statement.
“The lower court ruling in Braidwood is rooted in stigma and bigotry towards the LGBTQ+ community and people vulnerable to HIV,” said Dr. Stephen Lee, NASTAD executive director, in a statement. “It will cause incalculable harm to our efforts to end the HIV epidemic.”
