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- Supreme Court to Rule on Coverage of Preventive Screening Tests
The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to whether the screening services recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) must be covered at no charge to patients under the Affordable Care Act (Becerra v. Braidwood Management). The court will hear arguments in this case sometime in its current term later this spring.
The case has significant implications for clinical labs as the covered preventive services include high-volume cholesterol and diabetes testing and screening for sexually transmitted diseases. Other covered services include cancer screenings (eg, colorectal and cervical cancer screening), bone density screening, and HIV screening.
If the court rules that these screenings do not have to be covered at zero cost to patients, the number of people receiving these testing services would likely decline.
The CAP supports continued efforts to improve access to meaningful health insurance coverage and lower health care costs for patients. The CAP will provide updates to members as more information becomes available.