The Biden administration on June 12 finalized a tentative deal under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires health insurers to cover preventative care like cancer screenings and HIV preventatives at no extra cost to patients while a legal challenge continues.
The agreement was first announced on Friday and is now finalized in a filing in the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The deal keeps coverage intact nationwide, requiring a majority of health plans to continue providing preventive care at no charge while the case proceeds. In exchange, the administration agreed not to enforce the mandate to cover preventive care services against the small businesses challenging the provision. This means that even if the Affordable Care Act rules are upheld on appeal, the government can’t penalize the challengers for refusing to cover required services.
