Federal judge rules government can’t mandate coverage for drugs that prevent HIV infections

Click on Detroit ^ | September 7, 2022 | Kayla Clarke

[Robwin]

A federal judge in Texas ruled that a provision of the Affordable Care Act that mandates free coverage of certain drugs that prevent HIV infections violates the religious beliefs of a Christian-owned company, according to reports.

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by former Texas solicitor general Jonathan Mitchell on behalf of Braidwood Management Inc. The lawsuit challenges a provision in the ACA that required free coverage of HIV drugs Truvada and Descovy, commonly known as PrEP.

“Defendants do not show a compelling interest in forcing private, religious corporations to cover PrEP drugs with no cost-sharing and no religious exemptions,” the judge ruled, according to NBC News.

[Robwin]

A rare victory for religious freedom. We never could get this applied to Covid drugs mandates.

[SmokingJoe]

We never could get this applied to Covid drugs mandates

Why not?

[Wally_Kalbacken]

This must be the rump ranger protection clause mandate, right?

[ifinnegan]

False. These drugs do not prevent HIV infection.

[SecAmndmt]

Owned by Dr Steven Hotze. The FRoctors here hate MDs like Hotze, and yet his Christian faith informs his medical practice. I don’t agree with everything he says, but he’s been spot on with cv19 and solid on family values. He has a cv19 early treatment protocol similar to FLCCC.

[digger48]

Good grief.

I just checked GoodRx and generic Truvada is whole $30/mo

My blood thinner is $550, before insurance

[patriotfury]

“False. These drugs do not prevent HIV infection.”

You are absolutely correct.

However, remember the leftist axiom:

“Never let a totalitarian engineered lie and crisis go to waste” was fully in play here.

[Gen.Blather]

In my working career private insurance never covered nose jobs, breast implants or anything “lifestyle” related. But HIV prevention drugs were supposed to be covered? That’s the very definition of lifestyle related.

If you were in an accident and everything was covered but you’d lost a bunch of teeth, guess what wasn’t covered.

[daniel1212]

"I just checked GoodRx and generic Truvada is whole $30/mo My blood thinner is $550, before insurance" If a consensual religious practice - lets say the Lord's supper - was shown to be responsible for 81% of new HIV cases aged 13 and older among men - - despite only representing approximately 4% of the male population - and 92% of new HIV among youth, and (historically) a greatly increased incidence of other infectious diseases and premature death, and despite decades of attempting to tame it into being "safe," then it would be treated as the plague.

"The estimated discounted lifetime cost for persons who become HIV infected at age 35 is $326,500 (60% for antiretroviral medications, 15% for other medications, 25% non-drug costs). [Undiscounted "mean lifetime costs are $597,300 ($4,200)" "Discounted costs are highlighted throughout because they represent economic costs that take into account time preferences of individuals and society and the opportunity cost of funds"] The Lifetime Medical Cost Savings from Preventing HIV in the United States

Costs also can include those for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) [which was] at more than $1,700 for 30 tablets (https://mosaicscience.com/story/hiv-prep-truvada-prevention-sti-std-lgbtqi-gay-condom-pride/).

The cost for  PrEP medication is about  2,000 a month, and which "Most health insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover." (https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/hiv-aids/prep) For any Medicaid insured HIV-negative adult 18 years of age or older patients, lab testing and prescription medication costs are 100% covered. (https://www.louisianahealthhub.org/teleprep/) 

In 2017, around 61,300 people were actively taking PrEP.

(https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/western-central-europe-north-america/usa) with the rate of PrEP users per 100,000 population in 2018 being 68. (https://aidsvu.org/local-data/united-states)

The Ready, Set, PrEP program makes PrEP medication available at no cost for qualifying recipients who lack prescription drug coverage, and  are tested for HIV with a negative result, and have a prescription for PrEP. (https://www.getyourprep.com/)

EDIT: "the federal government has announced that almost all health insurers must cover the HIV prevention pill, known as PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, with no cost sharing — including for the drug itself and, crucially, for clinic visits and lab tests...This means...Truvada or Descovy, the two approved forms of PrEP, should now be totally free for almost all insured individuals....when taken daily, the tablet reduces men’s risk of contracting the virus from sex with other men by more than 99 percent...PrEP use remains largely limited to white gay and bisexual men...Gilead readily provides PrEP for free to lower-income people who lack health insurance, but the pharmaceutical company does not cover the associated clinic visits and lab tests...Since this spring, Truvada has been available in a generic form with a list price as low as $30 per month. By comparison, Descovy’s list price is currently $1,930 and Truvada’s is $1,842.... (https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/prep-hiv-prevention-pill-must-now-totally-free-almost-insurance-plans-rcna1470)

Which raises  raises private insurance rates and or taxes for all who pay them.  

Such are just part of the financial and societal costs  that affect every one to varying degrees due to man disobeying God's program, in which sexual union is only between male and female in marriage. And which provides the stable safe environment for trust and intimacy and for  children which are to result, versus  fornication as well as artificial contraceptives.

God made man and women distinctively different yet uniquely compatible and complementary, and only joined them together in marriage - as the Lord Jesus Himself specified (Mt. 19:4–6) - and Scripture only condemns homosexual relations wherever they are manifestly dealt with.

Yet there is still room at the cross for all who will come to God in repentance and faith, and trust in the Divine Son of God sent by the Father, the risen Lord Jesus, to save them on His account, by His sinless shed blood, and thus be baptized and live for Him. Acts 10:36-47