A federal judge in Texas has ruled that a provision of the Affordable Care Act that mandates free coverage of certain drugs that prevent HIV infections violate the religious beliefs of a Christian-owned company.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor came in response to a lawsuit filed by former Texas solicitor general and conservative activist Jonathan Mitchell on behalf of Braidwood Management Inc.
The lawsuit challenged a provision of the ACA that required free coverage of HIV drugs Truvada and Descovy, commonly known as PrEP, that thousands of Americans take.
O’Connor sided with the company.
“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.
O’Connor, an appointee of former President George W. Bush who has called the ACA unconstitutional, has in recent years become the go-to judge for conservatives seeking to challenge Obamacare provisions and measures aimed at protecting transgender students and enforcing Covid vaccine mandates.
Mitchell is best known as the architect behind a Texas law that encourages people to file lawsuits against people suspected of helping women get abortions.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
