October 22, 2024 – OAKLAND, CA – California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general in a legal effort to safeguard access to lifesaving preventive healthcare for Americans. Filed with the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS), in Monday’s amicus brief supports the Biden Administration’s defense of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) preventive care mandate. The mandate requires private insurers to cover certain preventive services, such as cardiovascular disease intervention, lung, breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening, as well as dental and vision screening for infants and children, at no cost to consumers.

In March 2023, a Texas district court ruled that requiring private insurers to cover certain preventive services stated above was unconstitutional. The Fifth Circuit partially upheld this ruling in June 2024, and currently, the decision on whether to hear the case is pending with SCOTUS.

“Preventive healthcare is not only lifesaving, but it addresses the root causes of illnesses, which leads to healthier futures for millions of Americans nationwide,” said Attorney General Bonta. “That’s why I stand with my fellow attorneys general today in urging the Supreme Court to fully restore the ACA’s preventive care mandate. By prioritizing prevention, we can build a more equitable and effective healthcare system to safeguard the health and well-being of our states’ residents.”

Since the ACA became law, millions of Americans have gained access to life-saving preventive medication and services. Numerous studies have found that the number of individuals using services such as blood pressure checks, cholesterol checks, and flu vaccinations rose significantly after the ACA’s preventive services provision was enacted.
 
In Monday’s amicus brief, the coalition of attorneys general laid out the significant public health benefits of the ACA’s preventative healthcare mandate, which include:

• Access to critical healthcare services, such as testing, screenings, and interventions that could prevent avoidable illnesses and stop the spread of infectious diseases.
• Lowering financial barriers and improving economic and health outcomes for marginalized communities — including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, and people of color — that have been traditionally underserved by health systems.
• Reducing the financial and other burdens placed on state public health systems and allowing those systems to address other serious public health issues. By focusing on preventive rather than reactive care, state health infrastructures are better able to focus on improving population health and preventing the contraction of illness.

In Monday’s amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. 
 
A copy of Monday’s amicus brief can be found here.

Source: CA DOJ