CHEST Supports Supreme Court Ruling Affirming Continued Coverage of Preventive Care Services
June 30, 2025
CHEST commends the US Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Kennedy v Braidwood Management, Inc., which upholds a key provision of the Affordable Care Act. This ruling ensures that private insurers must continue covering, without cost-sharing, preventive services recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
A win for access and equity in preventive care
Cost and insurance coverage have long posed significant barriers to the uptake of preventive health services. This is especially evident in lung cancer screening—an area of vital importance to CHEST—where only 18% of eligible individuals currently receive annual low-dose CT scans. Eliminating these financial barriers has been a critical step toward increasing participation in lifesaving early detection programs.
“This decision is crucial for our patients and allows organizations like CHEST to continue working toward removing the remaining barriers to programs like lung cancer screening,” said CHEST President John Howington, MD, MBA, FCCP. “We must keep our focus on fighting the stigma and complacency surrounding lung diseases, raising awareness of the benefits of evidence-based guidelines among clinicians and patients, and urging health systems to make the investments necessary to save and improve the lives in our care.”
Preserving evidence-based, no-cost services
This ruling supports ongoing access to a broad scope of preventive services currently recommended by the USPSTF, including:
- Lung cancer screening via low-dose CT scans
- Screening for latent TB infection in adults
- Tobacco smoking cessation support for adults
- Tobacco use prevention counseling for children and adolescents
These and other services are foundational tools in the fight against preventable illness and premature death.
Looking ahead: Ensuring transparency and integrity
While the Court confirmed the authority of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to appoint USPSTF members, CHEST urges HHS to continue operating with the utmost transparency and rigor in both appointments and recommendation development. We call on HHS to:
- Require expertise in health sciences research, clinical preventive care, and implementation of population-level recommendations;
- Perform comprehensive vetting of members to guard against financial, professional, and intellectual conflicts of interest;
- Invest in methods that adhere to the National Academy of Medicine’s principles for trustworthy, evidence-based guidelines; and
- Foster public engagement by inviting input on research plans and draft recommendations.
CHEST confirms commitment
In February, CHEST joined 33 organizations representing millions of patients in filing an amicus brief in support of the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act provision that requires most private insurers to cover preventive services recommended by the USPSTF without patient cost-sharing. With the Supreme Court’s confirmation that financial barriers cannot prevent access to USPTSF-recommended preventive care, the focus now shifts to ensuring that these health services are broadly and equitably implemented.
At CHEST, we remain dedicated to supporting recommendations based on solid scientific study, guided by clinical experience, and protected from undue political influence. We urge HHS to uphold the same standards of integrity and visibility when shaping the future of preventive care.