Washington, DC June 27, 2025 — HealthHIV and the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health welcome today’s Supreme Court decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, Inc, which upholds the federal government’s prior position; and affirms the authority of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in guiding coverage requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
This ruling preserves access to critical preventive health services for millions of Americans, including HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)—a proven intervention in the fight to end the HIV epidemic. The case had sought to carve out exemptions from covering PrEP based on religious objections, putting both coverage and public health protections at risk.
The ruling preserves not only PrEP access but also other critical services like cancer screenings, STI testing, and behavioral health interventions grounded in USPSTF recommendations. With new long-acting PrEP options just this week approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), today’s decision helps ensure continued, science-based access to preventive care grounded in clinical evidence—not ideology.
The ruling, in effect, reinforces the role of expert consensus in guiding public and private insurance coverage. However, it also underscores the authority of the executive branch over the Task Force itself, leaving it vulnerable to political interference or restructuring, as recently seen with ACIP. At the same time, the decision sends a clear message that individual beliefs cannot be used to deny access to essential health services.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Scott Bertani
Director of Advocacy
[email protected]
