Executive director of the HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute Carl Schmid tells The Advocate that it’s important for people to know that while the ruling is stayed, access to preventative care, including PrEP, has not changed. His organization will file an amicus brief with the appeals court in June in opposition to the lower court’s ruling.
“These conservatives use him and find these cases to go after certain things they don’t like and it goes to the 5th Circuit and likely to the [U.S.] Supreme Court,” Schmid said, referring to the lower court judge. “Everything we talked about before with insurers not covering PrEP for free — that would all go away, and not only for PrEP but for HIV testing, hepatitis B testing, hepatitis C testing, STD testing, smoking, lung screenings, mental health screening — it would all go away. They are all in jeopardy.”
Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, in a statement, said O’Connor’s ruling “is based on deep discrimination” against people who benefit from PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis medicines for non-HIV-positive people who are sexually active) and other medical services that prevent or detect serious health conditions. “We expect that the U.S. government will quickly act to stay this decision so that preventive services can continue nationwide, and appeal it,” he added, calling on health insurers to continue to cover preventive services without cost-sharing during an appeals period.
A court ruling to end the Affordable Care Act’s guarantee of no-cost access to preventive medical care triggered opposition from major healthcare companies, trade associations, advocacy groups, and Democratic officials.
“While not surprised by Judge O’Connor’s decision, which will immediately impact coverage of HIV testing, hepatitis B and C testing, along with PrEP, it is imperative that these critical preventive services must continue for the health of our nation,” Carl Schmid, the executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute said in a statement.