Susan G. Komen Foundation urges Supreme Court to protect preventive care coverage

Audrey Baker a D C -area resident noted a cancer screening saved her life Courtesy Audrey Baker Audrey Baker a D C -area resident disclosed a cancer screening saved her life Courtesy Audrey Baker The Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday in a scenario which could impact what insurance companies cover in terms of preventive care from cancer screenings to drugs that help prevent HIV The occurrence before the justices is between Vitality Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr v Braidwood Management Inc It was initially filed in when several Christian businesses and conservative employers challenged the Affordable Care Act which requires private insurers to cover certain preventive care services on the basis of religious beliefs The development has since changed in scope and now in front of the high court the matter focuses on how to appoint a task force that decides what should be covered A lower court decided the United States Preventive Services Task Force violates the Appointments Clause in the Constitution because the president does not decide who sits on the task force Last year the U S Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld that decision Now the question is whether the Supreme Court will also sponsorship the lower court s decision If the Supreme Court were to up uphold the decision that was made by the appeals court late last year it would set a precedent that could jeopardize these services that we ve become so accustomed to stated Molly Guthrie vice president of guidelines and advocacy at the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation The task force has been defended by both the Trump and Biden administrations as the Department of Justice has argued it is under the control of Physical condition and Human Services which appoints the members If the Supreme Court sides with the businesses that signed on to the lawsuit those companies potentially would not have to cover preventive treatments recommended by the task force dating back to The Kaiser Family Foundation revealed no-copay contraceptives vaccines and mammograms may be exempt because they were selected for coverage by other agencies but other screenings for colorectal and lung cancers may be at peril The real fear is that it will set a precedent that will then make it easier for more companies more entities to be able to make the same challenge and have the foundation to base it off of to basically change this preventive services landscape that we know in current times Guthrie announced Cancer screenings saved her life Now she s defending that healthcare care coverage The importance of cancer screening is something Audrey Baker reported helped her beat breast cancer In a routine mammogram unveiled an -millimeter tumor that turned out to be cancerous Baker had no family history of breast cancer or reactions when she was diagnosed The mammogram allowed me to very swiftly respond and respond so I could have the surgery have the radiation clean margins and still be here to talk about it she reported WTOP Baker commented early detection is near and dear to her because it saved her life She serves as the chair of the Komen Region Board for Susan G Komen DMV Tri-State Area If the Supreme Court doesn t overturn the lower court s ruling it could ultimately lead to more people opting against cancer screenings and other preventive care because they ll need to pay out of pocket To have any other cost or burden conflict challenge or friction thrown your way the percent of those who will get screened will go down and the negative outcomes will go up Baker disclosed It s logical at the end of the day Related stories Analysis Fewer getting routine cancer screenings despite benefits of early detection Inova Saville to launch mobile cancer screening clinic to address restrictions to care Nonprofit pushing for Medicare coverage of blood test that checks for more than cancers Guthrie added that judicial advocacy is a new frontier for the foundation and it has since filed amicus briefs in both the appeals court and now the Supreme Court For the breast cancer group we have a multitude of benefits from USPSTF United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines majority of namely the fact that women can receive annual screening beginning at age at no cost Guthrie mentioned She commented genetic counseling and jeopardy modifying medications are also covered by guidelines produced by the task force Those things combined according to Guthrie have driven down mortality rates and expanded access to needed services within the breast cancer society Then if you expound upon that where the other areas of masses physical condition that this development impacts the outcome could be truly devastating on inhabitants fitness and set a dangerous precedent Guthrie noted Source