The Trump administration argued in court on Monday that an independent group of medical experts at the Department of Health and Human Services would not be beholden to political pressure when it comes to deciding what kind of preventive services must be covered by insurers.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Kennedy v. Braidwood, a case that could repeal a key clause in the Affordable Care Act that mandates all insurers to cover costs for preventive care services, such as cancer screenings, diabetes screenings and medication to prevent HIV.
The administration’s attorneys told the justices that the group deciding the mandates — the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — is legally bound to remain independent from the government’s views — but President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could fire them for those views anyway.