Washington — The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the structure of a federal health task force that recommends preventive medical services that must be provided to patients at no cost under the Affordable Care Act.
The ruling from the Supreme Court in the case known as Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, Inc. leaves intact the 16-member U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The task force is part of the Department of Health and Human Service and has for decades been making recommendations on preventive medical services to avoid serious health conditions.
The court ruled 6-3 in finding that the task force members are inferior officers, whose appointment by the head of Health and Human Services is consistent with the Constitution’s Appointments Clause. Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the majority opinion, with Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch in dissent.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.