06.21.2024 / Statement

Braidwood Decision Preserves Access to Free Preventive Services for Millions of Americans, But Future Threats Loom

WASHINGTON, DC – Yael Lehmann, Families USA Interim Executive Director, issued the following statement on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling on the Braidwood v. Becerra case regarding whether health insurance plans would be required to provide cost-fee coverage of preventive services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) after March 2010. 

“Thankfully for now, today’s ruling preserved access to life-saving preventive health care services for over 151 million Americans enrolled in health insurance plans that currently cover preventive services free of cost. Unfortunately, the ruling does specifically allow Braidwood Management et al. to stop covering preventive services they object to including screenings for HIV, and paves the way for future lawsuits that jeopardize access to lifesaving preventive services. To prevent this from happening, policymakers must take immediate action to preserve the USPSTF’s ability to continue its important work helping millions of Americans get and stay healthy.  

“Families with private insurance plans have benefitted from zero-cost preventive services provided through the ACA for the last 14 years — things like screenings for cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV, depression, intimate partner violence, and substance use disorder. Poll after poll shows that these no-cost services have been some of the most popular provisions of the ACA.  

“We know that without a guarantee of coverage for these services, our nation’s families are more likely to risk their lives and skip critical preventive care due to cost. Everyone’s life hangs in the balance — from children to pregnant people to seniors.” 

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Families USA, a leading national voice for health care consumers, is dedicated to the achievement of high quality, affordable health care and improved health for all.