ACLA Statement on Texas Court Ruling on Preventive Screening Coverage
Washington D.C. – The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) released the following statement in response to a Texas court striking down an Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision requiring coverage of certain medical screenings at no cost to patients:
“The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) is deeply concerned by the decision of a Texas federal court to strike a critical Affordable Care Act provision requiring insurers and health plans to cover preventive services at no cost to patients, including routine screenings used to detect common diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Millions of Americans and their health care professionals rely on these essential screenings, including through clinical laboratory services, to provide accurate and reliable information to manage health and guide treatment plans. This ruling will jeopardize access to clinical laboratory and other screening services central to health care delivery that improve and save lives. Further, by eliminating the coverage requirement, this ruling will reduce access to critical screening services for underserved populations, who already bear an outsized burden of disease for many illnesses for which screening is recommended.”
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The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) is the national trade association representing leading laboratories that deliver essential diagnostic health information to patients and providers. ACLA members are at the forefront of driving diagnostic innovation to meet the country’s evolving health care needs and provide vital clinical laboratory tests that identify and prevent infectious, acute and chronic disease. ACLA works to advance the next generation of health care delivery through policies that expand access to lifesaving testing services.
