Texas judge rules against ObamaCare coverage of HIV prevention drugs on religious grounds

The future of preventive medical services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), often referred to as Obamacare, is in doubt following a 7 September decision by federal judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas.1O’Connor struck down a key provision of the ACA that requires insurers and employers to cover HIV prevention drugs, on the grounds that the requirement violates the religious freedom of a Christian owned company.When Congress passed the ACA in 2010 it required that all health insurance automatically cover basic prevention services such as screening for disease and vaccinations, and prohibited additional co-payments by patients who use those services. It made the US Preventive Services Task Force (PSTF) responsible for determining what was on the list of covered services.The PSTF was established in 1984 as an independent body of experts, free from political control, serving for a fixed term. Before the ACA its role was strictly advisory, with…
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