Appeals Court Finds ‘Obamacare’ Mandate Unconstitutional

A federal appeals court has found an Affordable Care Act mandate unconstitutional, although it declined to block the requirement. A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled on June 21 that the mandate requiring insurers to cover preventive services, such as cancer screenings and HIV prevention drugs, was unconstitutional because the task force issuing these requirements was not appointed by the president or confirmed by the Senate. The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, requires coverage of “preventative care” but does not include a definition of that care. Instead, it requires coverage of preventative services and drugs that receive an A or B rating from the United States Preventive Services Task Force....