Appeals Court Finds ‘Obamacare’ Mandate Unconstitutional

Judges declined to block the mandate despite the ruling.

Bottles of the drug Truvada, which reduces the risk of contracting HIV, in a file photograph. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A federal appeals court has found an Affordable Care Act mandate unconstitutional, although it declined to block the requirement.

A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled on June 21 that the mandate requiring insurers to cover preventive services, such as cancer screenings and HIV prevention drugs, was unconstitutional because the task force issuing these requirements wasn’t appointed by the president or confirmed by the Senate.