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Patient and Medical Professional Organizations Applaud Administration’s Decision to Defend Access to Preventive Health Services in US Supreme Court Braidwood Case

February 19, 2025

Washington, D.C. -  Last night, the Solicitor General’s office filed its merits brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Braidwood Management v. Kennedy, outlining its intention to defend the provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires most private insurers to cover preventive services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) without cost sharing by patients. Organizations representing millions of patients with serious health conditions and thousands of health care professionals applaud the administration’s decision to continue to defend the vital provision of the ACA.

Research has proven that any cost sharing can be a deterrent to accessing critical prevention and early detection and ultimately puts lives at risk. According to a recent American Cancer Society study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, millions of privately insured people will lose access to breast, colorectal, and lung cancer screenings without cost sharing if the provision of the ACA is declared unconstitutional.

Thirty-five organizations filed an amicus brief in October 2024 supporting the government’s petition for certiorari in the case, providing extensive scientific data demonstrating that preventive services save lives and are cost-effective.

From the October 2024 amicus brief:

“Amici support the petition for certiorari because preventive care recommended by USPSTF is crucial for maintaining strong public health, preventing the development of a wide range of conditions, promoting early detection of certain conditions and improving survival rates. Impeding patients’ access to preventive care would have an immediate and devastating impact.

“The ACA preventive services provision requiring private insurers cover USPSTF-recommended services without cost sharing increases patients’ ability to receive care that can prevent disease outright, identify conditions early, and reduce the physical and financial burdens of treating severe illnesses. Detecting severe diseases early allows for less invasive, more effective, and lower-cost treatment options, and substantially improves patient outcomes. The ACA’s preventive-care requirements have functioned for more than ten years, enabling millions of Americans to obtain preventive care and improving utilization of these vital services nationwide. Reducing insurance coverage for preventive services will lead to worsening patient outcomes, resulting in preventable deaths, and creating higher long-term medical costs.”

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Ophthalmology

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Cancer Society

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

American College of Chest Physicians

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

American College of Physicians

American Kidney Fund

American Medical Association

American Medical Women's Association

American Osteopathic Association

American Psychiatric Association

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

American Society of Clinical Oncology

American Thoracic Society 

Arthritis Foundation

Cancer Support Community

Crohn's and Colitis Foundation 

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Epilepsy Foundation of America

GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Health

Hemophilia Federation of America

Infectious Diseases Society of America

National Hispanic Medical Association

National Medical Association

National Minority Quality Forum

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Patient Advocate Foundation

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeons

The AIDS Institute

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society

The groups plan to stay engaged throughout the duration of the case because so many lives are at stake.
 

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More Press Releases AboutAccess to Health Care, National

Media Contacts

Jen Fox
Associate Director, Federal Media Advocacy
Access to Care
Washington, D.C.
[email protected]

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