• @pingveno@lemmy.mlOP
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    32 years ago

    Jonathan Mitchell, a Texas lawyer who has been a core part of the socially conservative part of the conservative legal movement, is now setting his sights on PrEP requirements for health care insurance. PrEP has been a key treatment in stopping the spread of HIV in the US and around the world. It provides extremely effective prevention at lower cost than an HIV infection.

    His argument includes the line that “neither they nor any of their family members are engaged in behavior that transmits HIV.” However, this is fallacious, as that’s not how required coverage works in health care insurance. Insurance includes a long list as required by law, even if you’re physically not capable of needing it. For example, gay men cis aren’t going to get pregnant, but insurance companies can’t give them a discount over a straight couple.

    There is a fairly good chance that this Supreme Court will extend the Hobby Lobby ruling in some way, given its recent spate of rulings placing religion over minority rights. Hopefully they will not, especially because this suit appears to echo Hobby Lobby in wanting to deny PrEP access to employees, therefore potentially placing a highly beneficial medication out of the reach of poorly paid employees.