Supreme Court Ruling on Coverage of Preventive Services Could Impact Patients and the Laboratory

In December, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released updated draft recommendations for cervical cancer screening for public comment. In our comment letter, ASCP thanked the Task Force for maintaining choice in cervical cancer screening and lauded the group for upholding a “Grade A” designation for co-testing. This designation pertains to insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), wherein screening tests designated as Grade A are fully covered with no cost to the patient. The final USPSTF cervical cancer screening recommendations are still pending. 

Relatedly, on January 10, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to whether screening services — including cervical cancer screening tests — recommended by the USPSTF must be fully covered at no charge to patients under the ACA. The court will likely hear arguments in this case in April and rule on the case in late June or July. The case has important implications for both laboratories and patients alike, as the covered preventive services include high-volume tests like diabetes and cholesterol testing, screening for sexually transmitted diseases, and cancer screenings. If the court rules that these services are no longer covered at no cost to patients, uptake by patients of these critical preventive testing services will likely decline. This is the first challenge to the ACA’s preventive services provision, but because this provision is one of the more popular of those in the ACA, it is ASCP’s hope that the court will rule that the services should remain covered. ASCP will monitor developments in this significant case as they arise.