Texas Judge’s Ruling Puts Free Preventative Care in Jeopardy
Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times reports, “A federal judge in Texas ruled Wednesday that the Affordable Care Act’s process for determining what kinds of preventive care must be fully covered by private health insurance is unconstitutional.” The judge sided with the plaintiff in the case, Dr. Steven F. Hotze, a Republican donor and doctor who has challenged the ACA in the past. This time Hotze argued that the statute’s requirement to cover preventative HIV medication violated his religious freedom because it encouraged homosexual behavior. Dr. Jack Resneck Jr., the president of the American Medical Association, said, “Today’s ruling throws into jeopardy key preventive health services that reduce the incidence of H.I.V. and other health conditions or disease.” The Biden administration will likely appeal the ruling.