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Healthcare in the United States is notoriously complicated. In the absence of comprehensive national coverage, most Americans have employer-sponsored insurance. It is by far the most common source of health benefits in the U.S., with\u00a0nearly 75% of working adults<\/a>\u00a0(and half of our nation\u2019s children<\/a>, as dependents) receiving health coverage from their employers.<\/p>\n As a player in the employer-sponsored healthcare space, we see firsthand the care, energy, and dedication that human resource and benefits teams at leading companies across the country have for their employee\u2019s well-being. We\u2019ve seen benefit teams make mid-year plan changes to provide better support during the pandemic, aim to do better than the status quo, and center health benefits in their people strategies.<\/p>\n More than anything, we see companies trying to nudge their employees into the lowest-cost, highest-reward behavior: prevention. This is a great strategy. One of the best ways for employers to support their employees and their families\u2014while keeping an eye on costs\u2014is by prioritizing and promoting\u00a0preventive\u00a0care.<\/p>\n The return on investment might take longer, but\u00a0preventive\u00a0care is critical for population health.\u00a0Preventive\u00a0services can help identify illnesses or risks earlier, manage care more effectively, and treat issues before they develop into more complicated, debilitating, and expensive conditions. Even if you\u2019re looking at your health benefits strategy from a purely dollars-and-cents perspective, prioritizing\u00a0preventive\u00a0coverage just makes sense.<\/p>\n And while it\u2019s always been a cost-effective and compassionate decision for employers to invest in their workforce by offering\u00a0preventive\u00a0care and services, it wasn\u2019t until the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010 that employers were actually compelled to provide these benefits.<\/p>\n Since its passage, the ACA has required employers to cover certain\u00a0preventive\u00a0services without any cost-sharing like copays, coinsurance, or deductibles. More than 150 million Americans now<\/a> have access to preventive services\u2014and these are popular across the political spectrum:\u00a0Polling shows that 80% of Democrats and 50% of Republicans support this provision of the ACA<\/a>.<\/p>\n However,\u00a0Braidwood v. Becerra<\/em><\/a>, a case recently decided by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and likely headed to the Supreme Court, is trying to chip away at the most popular, affordable, and impactful parts of the ACA.<\/p>\n Last year, Texas-based federal Judge Reed O\u2019Connor moved to block the requirement for employers to offer certain zero-cost\u00a0preventive\u00a0services, including programs to help people quit tobacco products, HIV prevention medication coverage, and\u00a0preventive\u00a0screenings for anxiety, hypertension, and hepatitis B and C. The decision was\u00a0appealed by the federal government<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Fifth Circuit\u00a0upheld the national requirements for now,<\/a>\u00a0saying the lower court went too far on that front. However, the court agreed with the plaintiffs that the members of the U.S.\u00a0Preventive\u00a0Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts staffed by the Department of Health, should instead be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The Fifth Circuit called on the lower court to challenge the constitutionality of the federal agencies that recommend\u00a0preventive\u00a0services like vaccines and care for women and children. The ruling narrows the scope of the case\u2014but sets a dangerous precedent for others looking to strip coverage for\u00a0preventive\u00a0services, and leaves\u00a0preventive\u00a0service coverage at risk.<\/p>\n The real focal point of this ruling was Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a highly effective HIV prevention medication and a\u00a0key part of the national plan to fight HIV in the U.S. This appears to be a targeted attack on PrEP on ideological grounds, and the ruling not only ignores science but also erodes decades of public health gains. Numerous studies from around the world have shown that\u00a0PrEP programs effectively prevent HIV<\/a>\u2014saving lives<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0preventing costly care<\/a>.<\/p>\n This case goes even further by challenging the authority of the U.S.\u00a0Preventive\u00a0Services Task Force and could impact the cost-sharing of other important services like hepatitis screenings. By catching and treating this disease early, people (and their employers, who will shoulder the cost) can avoid devastating liver failure and its many complications like transplants, multiple medications, repeated hospitalizations, and follow-ups for the rest of their lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n So much pain, disruption, and costly care can be prevented by routine screenings and effective treatment. And yet sometimes the simplest and most valuable steps, like routine screenings, can be the hardest to take. Understanding, accessing, and actually using health insurance is incredibly confusing, and when there\u2019s a cost barrier in the way, it can keep people from accessing the care they need. It\u2019s just hard to be a savvy shopper in our current healthcare landscape. Which is why it\u2019s even more important to ensure the right choice is the easiest one to make. The more we can remove barriers to\u00a0preventive\u00a0care, the better.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re an employer looking for the secret to low-cost, high-impact ways to recruit and retain talent while fostering a healthy and productive workforce, prioritize\u00a0preventive\u00a0healthcare coverage and remove barriers like copays, coinsurance, and deductibles.<\/p>\n True wellness requires\u00a0preventive\u00a0care. We\u2019re calling on employers, HR, and benefit administrators to look past the legal and political battles and to keep doing what you\u2019ve been doing. Prioritize zero-cost\u00a0preventive\u00a0care for your employees and their families. You will be rewarded with a healthier team\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0a healthier bottom line, today, tomorrow, and for years to come.<\/p>\n\nMore must-read\u00a0commentary\u00a0published by\u00a0Fortune<\/em>:<\/h2>\n