Posted on 09/07/2022 4:00:55 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A federal judge in Texas ruled on Wednesday that a mandate requiring most health insurance companies to cover medicine that prevents HIV infection violates the religious freedom of certain businesses.
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor partially resolves a lawsuit brought by Braidwood Management Inc., a Christian for-profit corporation owned by Republican mega-donor Steven Hotze that employs about 70 people.
Hotze claimed that forcing his company to cover pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs, more commonly known as PrEP, under the Affordable Care Act would make the company “facilitate and encourage homosexual behavior.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PrEP “reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% … [and] the risk of getting HIV from injection drug use by at least 74%.”
The CDC recommends the use of PrEP to people at high risk of contracting HIV, including men who have sex with men.
Five counties in Texas — Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Tarrant, and Travis — have been designated by the federal government as priority areas for preventing new transmissions because of their high number of HIV diagnoses. Only Florida and California have more counties designated as priority areas.
In his ruling, O’Connor said that Braidwood and Hotze have “shown that the PrEP mandate substantially burdens its religious exercise.”
He said the defendants — the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary Xavier Becerra — have not shown how mandating the coverage of the drug “furthers a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that interest.”
It’s unclear whether the ruling applies to other businesses beside the ones named as plaintiffs.
HHS didn’t immediately return a request for comment. The decision is likely to be appealed.
In July, the American Medical Association warned that the lawsuit could threaten more than 100 preventive health services for millions of Americans.
The attorney representing the plaintiffs, former Texas Solicitor General Jonathan Mitchell, was the mind behind Senate Bill 8 — the state law that bans abortions after six weeks and allows citizens to sue anyone who “aids or abets” an abortion.
In a July interview with the Dallas Morning News, Mitchell said he was going to challenge court rulings he sees as improperly decided, including same-sex marriage.
O’Connor also ruled that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of experts in disease prevention who recommended in 2019 mandating health insurance to cover PrEP, is unconstitutional.
That should prevent them from having to deal with Fagpox too if you ask me
What about heterosexuals with AIDS? No medication for them? And homosexuals who have AIDS, are employees, and can’t get this medication? Will they get other forms of treatment? Will that cost more?
They had to mention “a Christian for-profit company” owned by a “Republican mega donor” in the lede paragraph. It’s in the AP style book apparently. 🤬
For the repentant Christian this is as bad as it will ever be,
For the unrepentant this is as good as they will ever see.
It is still possible to get HIV from blood transfusions or even blood contact in sports. I think this ruling is government over-reach.
by Paul King Jun. 22, 2003 at
https://la.indymedia.org/news/2003/06/66369.php
After years of claims by the AIDS establishment that a link between HIV and immune supression had been established a High Court found the claim without merit and a unfounded deception. This is the first legal trail of the HUV/AIDS hypothesis and a historic defeat for AID$ Inc.
Tune in tomorrow and find out if Big Butt Billy and his dog Rammer will find the necessary meds to keep Little Johnny Sweet Cheeks from coming down with monkey pox, and the creeping crud.....
The judge is wrong
Definitely overreaching. If we stop supporting preventative medicine because of life style choices it’s going to get ugly really quick. People don’t stop and think this through.
Maybe you should seek out HIV and report back your findings of how it doesn’t lead to AIDS. *eye roll*
https://truthseeker.se/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Dr-Lanka-The-Irish-Light.pdf
This ruling should be LESS about HIV/gays/religion/etc, and more about GOVERNMENT OVERREACH because they are forcing every company to provide things to their employees!
THIS IS FORCING SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED TO WORKERS, BY THE US GOVERNMENT, BUT USING COMPANIES AS THE VEHICLE! THIS IS SINGLE-PAYER WITH A THIRD PARTY SUBSERVIENT TO THE GOVERNMENT (THE COMPANY)!!
The US government should NOT be able to force me to provide you anything - PERIOD! it is not their job to tell me how to run my business!!
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