South Raleigh News

Attorney General Jeff Jackson has submitted a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, backing the federal government's initiative to safeguard a significant component of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This provision ensures access to essential preventive healthcare for millions of Americans. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear this case on April 21.

"North Carolinians rely on these health care services to help catch, treat, and prevent serious medical issues," stated Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "The federal government is right to defend the Affordable Care Act, and I support their efforts to uphold the law in court."

Since its enactment in 2010, the ACA has broadened access to preventive services such as cancer screenings. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force determines which preventive services must be covered by private insurers at no cost. Attorney General Jackson and other attorneys general are advocating for the reversal of a lower court's decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, Inc., which declared the task force's structure unconstitutional.

The coalition argues that task force members are constitutionally appointed and overseen by the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. They emphasize that many Americans depend on no-cost healthcare access provided by this provision. Within four years of ACA's implementation, about 76 million Americans gained expanded coverage for one or more preventive services. By 2020, an estimated 151.6 million people were enrolled in private insurance plans covering preventive services at no cost.

Attorney General Jackson is joined by Attorneys General from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin in filing this brief.

A copy of the brief is available here.