Patient and Medical Professional Organizations Applaud U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision to Take the Case of Braidwood v. Becerra, Urge the Justices to Protect Access to Preventive Services
Last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision to grant the government’s petition for certiorari in the Braidwood Management v. Becerra case. At the core of this case is the requirement under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for most insurers to cover preventive services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) without cost-sharing by patients.
Patient and medical professional organizations had filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to take the case and reverse the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit as to the constitutionality of the provisions relating to the USPSTF. They argue that the ruling at stake threatens to drastically reduce insurance coverage for USPSTF-recommended services, deter utilization of those services, worsen patient outcomes and potentially increase costs.
Below is an excerpt of the brief filed in October 2024:
“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.
The full list of groups who joined the amicus is as follows:
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