Author Topic: Another challenge to the ACA - Kelley v Becerra  (Read 759 times)

BZB

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Another challenge to the ACA - Kelley v Becerra
« on: August 09, 2022, 02:03:43 PM »
I'm keeping a wary eye on this one. The implications are broad and the impact it could have is frightening for all Americans.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/08/09/1115454627/preventive-care-such-as-birth-control-anti-hiv-medicine-challenged-in-texas-laws

First 2 paragraphs of the article:

"The Affordable Care Act has survived many challenges in court, but the case of Kelley v. Becerra – now before a federal judge in Texas – threatens to undermine one of the most popular provisions in the law, which requires most health plans to provide coverage for preventive care with no copays.

If the judge rules in favor of the plaintiffs, access to free birth control, cancer screenings, vaccines, PrEP (HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis), counseling for alcohol misuse, diet counseling for people at higher risk of chronic disease, and many more preventive services would be in jeopardy, according to the nation's leading doctors' groups, which have sounded the alarm."

lifeisshort123

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Re: Another challenge to the ACA - Kelley v Becerra
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2022, 02:52:59 PM »
It sounds like they would not overrule the entire law, just change some of the preventative care aspects of the law.

As someone who doesn’t really remember the Pre-ACA market, I would be curious how this would affect affordable healthcare.  My biggest concern with the AÇA is, mustachians excluded, I do not think it really is “affordable” for most Americans due to the high costs.  Eliminating the 400% subsidy cliff was a good step, but many of the silver and bronze plans are prohibitively expensive should someone actually have to use them.  It seems to me the preventative services were some of the best aspects of the law - free annual physical, etc. to at least ensure people could receive “some” level of care automatically built into the policy.

If my provider drops the free physical, I doubt they would lower my bill by say $360 annually.

I was intrigued by Candidate Joe Biden’s ACA reform plans - lower the income threshold to around 8.5%, and peg the subsidy to gold plans instead of silver plans.  I don’t think he ever pursued that plan as a president, and it is not being enacted even in these new reforms announced this week.

Sibley

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Re: Another challenge to the ACA - Kelley v Becerra
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2022, 06:15:37 PM »
It sounds like they would not overrule the entire law, just change some of the preventative care aspects of the law.

As someone who doesn’t really remember the Pre-ACA market, I would be curious how this would affect affordable healthcare.  My biggest concern with the AÇA is, mustachians excluded, I do not think it really is “affordable” for most Americans due to the high costs.  Eliminating the 400% subsidy cliff was a good step, but many of the silver and bronze plans are prohibitively expensive should someone actually have to use them.  It seems to me the preventative services were some of the best aspects of the law - free annual physical, etc. to at least ensure people could receive “some” level of care automatically built into the policy.

If my provider drops the free physical, I doubt they would lower my bill by say $360 annually.

I was intrigued by Candidate Joe Biden’s ACA reform plans - lower the income threshold to around 8.5%, and peg the subsidy to gold plans instead of silver plans.  I don’t think he ever pursued that plan as a president, and it is not being enacted even in these new reforms announced this week.

As imperfect as ACA is, it is an improvement in access and affordability over what we had before.