The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that most health insurance plans cover preventive services at no cost to patients, preserving a key component of the law while broader legal challenges continue.

The case, Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra, questioned the legal authority of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), whose recommendations guide the ACA’s no-cost coverage requirements. In a 6 - 3 decision, the justices declined to reinstate a lower court ruling that would have ended coverage for certain services – avoiding widespread disruption, at least for now.

California Medical Association (CMA) President Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D., called the decision an important safeguard for patients.

“The Affordable Care Act has been instrumental in ensuring patients have access to both preventative and lifesaving care, and we are glad to see that an important provision was protected today,” she said.

The ACA’s preventive care mandate ensures access to services such as annual wellness exams, cancer and diabetes screenings, HIV prevention medication, mental health assessments, and routine vaccinations, without copays or deductibles. These interventions are widely credited with improving health outcomes and reducing long-term health care costs.

“This critical protection ensures patients can continue to receive essential services, such as annual exams, cancer screenings, and vaccinations—care that catches illness early, prevents disease and improves health outcomes,” said Dr. Udovic-Constant.

While the Court rejected the constitutional challenge to the USPSTF, legal and administrative threats to preventive care coverage remain.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act’s no-cost coverage for preventive care protects a cornerstone of public health policy, one that saves lives and reduces long-term health care costs,” said Dr. Udovic-Constant. “Patients should not be forced to choose between their health and their financial well-being. Today’s ruling reaffirms that prevention is not a luxury, but a necessity.”

Although the Court upheld current ACA coverage requirements, it will likely not be the final word on which services plans must cover free of cost-sharing. The Trump administration has signaled that it may reshape the USPSTF’s membership and operations in ways that could significantly alter which services are recommended—and therefore covered. Officials could also ask the Task Force to reconsider earlier recommendations or delay updates to existing ones, potentially limiting access to newly approved preventive care.

In legal briefs, the administration also asserted that it has the authority to indefinitely delay the implementation of USPSTF recommendations and that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may directly supervise or veto the Task Force’s decisions – something no previous administration has attempted.

Earlier this month, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demonstrated similar authority by abruptly firing all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an unprecedented move that dismantled a long-standing, independent panel of vaccine experts tasked with guiding federal immunization policy. Secretary Kennedy has since appointed eight new advisors, including individuals who have previously expressed skepticism about established vaccine policies, raising serious concerns about the committee’s ability to deliver apolitical, science-based recommendations.

CMA will continue to advocate for strong, evidence-based policies that protect access to preventive care and guard against politically motivated interference in public health.