Supreme Court seems likely to uphold ACA preventive services mandate

Supreme Court justices appeared inclined Monday to keep the Affordable Care Act's requirement that insurers cover certain recommended preventive services at no cost.

Why it matters: At stake is access to no-cost screenings, tests, HIV drugs and counseling for the roughly 150 million Americans with private health insurance.

Driving the news: Justices on Monday heard oral arguments on the constitutionality of the federal task force that decides which preventive services should be covered.

• The Trump administration, defending the task force, argued that the secretary of Health and Human Services has appropriate oversight over its members and recommendations.
• But lawyers for Christian-owned companies challenging the mandate argued that the task force is unconstitutionally imposing coverage requirements because its members aren't politically appointed.

Where it stands: Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett appeared skeptical of the companies' reasoning.

• The companies' argument views the task force as a "massively important agency that operates with unreviewable authority to make really critical decisions that are going to affect the economy," Kavanaugh said.
• "Normally before that kind of thing would happen, Congress would have provided stronger indications that this task force is enormously important in the American economy, and would have treated it such," he said. "I just don't see indications of that."

What's next: The Supreme Court is expected to issue its decision in June or early July.