Judge’s ruling undercuts US health law’s preventive care

By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas who has previously ruled to dismantle the Affordable Care Act struck down a narrower but key part of the nation’s health law. The ruling Thursday by U.S. District Judge Reed O’ Connor blocks the requirement that most insurers cover preventive care such as vaccines and cancer screenings. Opponents and medical groups had warned that the decision could jeopardize preventive screenings for millions of Americans. The Biden administration had told the court the outcome of the case “could create extraordinary upheaval in the United States’ public health system.” It is likely to appeal.