By The Associated Press’s Lindsay Whitehurst
Washington (AP) On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld a significant portion of the Affordable Care Act’s mandate for preventative health care coverage, dismissing a challenge from Christian companies to the clause that impacts over 150 million Americans.
In a case concerning how the government determines which medical treatments and prescription drugs must be completely covered by private insurance under former President Barack Obama’s signature statute, commonly known as Obamacare, the court ruled 6-3.
Because the Senate has not approved the volunteer board of medical experts entrusted with proposing which services are covered, the plaintiffs claimed the procedure is unconstitutional.
Though the Republican president has been critical of his Democratic predecessor’s law, the administration of President Donald Trump defended the requirement in court. According to the Justice Department, the health and human services secretary has the authority to remove board members, thus Senate approval is not required.
HIV-prevention medications, lung cancer tests, statins to control cholesterol, and medications to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women are among the medications and services that may have been impacted.
After an appeals court invalidated certain requirements for preventive care coverage, the case reached the Supreme Court. The Texas residents and Christian employers claimed that they could not be required to offer complete insurance coverage for items like HIV prevention drugs and certain cancer screenings, and the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed.
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