FACT SHEET: Solutions States Can Take to Preserve Access to Free Preventive Services

One of the most popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the requirement that most commercial health plans cover preventive services, including vaccinations and cancer screenings, without cost-sharing, such as deductibles or copays. On March 30, 2023 a federal judge in Texas declared that an earlier ruling he issued in September 2022 striking down much of the ACA’s preventive services mandate in the case Braidwood v. Becerra applied nationwide. Although the decision doesn’t apply to all preventive services covered under the ACA, it may impede access to many critical preventative services for more than 150 million people. 

While this ruling will have a significant impact on access to affordable health care, state policymakers can take action now to ensure these preventive care services remain available without cost-sharing. United States of Care has created a two-page guide summarizing the impact this ruling will have on states and how leaders and advocates at the state level can protect access to preventive services.