Federal Judge Strikes Down ACA Requirements For No Cost Preventive Services

On March 30, 2023, a federal judge in Texas struck down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) provisions that mandate health insurers cover preventive services with no cost-sharing to the consumer. The ruling was in response to the case of Braidwood Management v. Becerra and has nationwide implications. The federal Department of Justice appealed the ruling on March 31, 2023.

In this complaint, the plaintiff (self-insured Braidwood Management) did not want to cover pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medicine that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, claiming that covering the drug violated their religious freedoms because . . .