The U.S. Supreme Court issued a dizzying number of rulings before its summer recess with cases ranging from Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, gender affirming care for minors, and the Affordable Care Act’s preventive care coverage mandate. The Court ruled that patients cannot sue to enforce the “free-choice of provider” provisions in Medicaid, state bans on gender affirming care for minors don’t violate the equal protections clause, and that the appointment of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) didn’t violate the appointments clause of the Constitution. The Court also upheld the authority of the Task Force to require payors to cover preventive services, such as HIV-prevention drugs and cancer screenings. 

Medicaid Funding and Planned Parenthood: 

In a case from South Carolina, which attempted to exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program, the Supreme Court ruled that Medicaid enrollees cannot sue in federal court to enforce the “free-choice of provider” provision. This provision allows Medicaid recipients to choose any qualified and willing provider. The Court’s decision in this case limits the ability of individuals to challenge state actions that exclude certain providers, like Planned Parenthood, from their Medicaid programs. Patient advocates warn that cutting Medicaid coverage to medical providers like Planned Parenthood would limit access to non-abortion services provided, such as cancer screening and STI testing, hurting patients from marginalized and low-income communities. Under the Hyde Amendment, Medicaid coverage for abortions is already banned with exceptions for rape, incest or to save the life of the pregnant patient.  

Gender Affirming Care: 

In Tennessee, a case was brought to the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of a new law banning gender affirming care for minors. The plaintiffs in the case argued that the bill violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause by discriminating against patients on the basis of sex. The Court ruled that because the bill classifies people based on age and medical diagnosis, that it doesn’t violate the Equal Protections Clause. This case was closely watched as it would also decide the fate of similar laws in 27 other states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri and Kansas. With this ruling, these laws will be upheld while two states are still blocked based on concerns about the due process rights of parents and transgender minors.  

In the original House version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, there was a provision that would have banned the use of federal funding for gender affirming care nationally but this provision was removed in the Senate version. On Tuesday, House Budget Chair, Jodey Arrington (R-TX) said that Republicans should pursue another budget bill to advance priorities left out of the One Big Beautiful Bill, including banning the use of federal funding for gender affirming care.  

Affordable Care Act’s Preventive Care Coverage Mandate: 

In a 6-3 decision, the Court upheld a key provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requiring insurers to cover certain preventive services at no cost, including cancer screenings, immunizations, birth control and HIV-prevention drugs. The case argued the appointment of the 16-member U.S. Preventive Services Task Force by the Secretary of Health of Human Services (HHS) violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution, which requires that “principal officers” be appointed by the President. The Court ruled that the Task Force was composed of “inferior officers” that didn’t have to be appointed by the President. The case was filed in 2020 by individuals and businesses over objections to a mandate from the Task Force for insurance companies to cover HIV-prevention drugs, which they argued encourage “sexual behaviors and drug use” that are antithetical to their religious beliefs.