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U.S. NEWS Friday 31 March 2023
Judge’s ruling undercuts U.S. health law’s preventive care

By PAUL J. WEBER said in a statement follow-
Associated Press ing the ruling that people
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A with low incomes have
federal judge in Texas who been able to get services
previously ruled to disman- they need as care has ex-
tle the Affordable Care Act panded over the past de-
struck down a narrower cade because of the law.
but key part of the nation’s “Fundamentally, people
health law Thursday that re- across the country deserve
quires most insurers to cov- the opportunity to receive
er preventive services that these important preventive
include screenings for can- services that have been
cer, diabetes and mental proven to help them live
health. longer and healthier lives,”
Other no-cost services, in- Barry said.
cluding HIV screenings, are The U.S. Department of
also impacted under the Health and Human Servic-
ruling by U.S. District Judge es did not immediately re-
Reed O’Connor that op- spond to a message seek-
ponents say will jeopardize ing comment on the ruling.
preventive care for millions The Biden administration
of Americans. had told the court that
Experts cautioned that in- the outcome of the case
surers are unlikely to stop The healthcare.gov website is seen on Dec. 14, 2021, in Fort Washington, Md. “could create extraordi-
any coverage immediate- Associated Press nary upheaval in the Unit-
ly. ed States’ public health
The Biden administration dation. The decision comes of preventive care includ- ommendations by the U.S. system.”
was also expected to ap- more than four years after ing screenings for multiple Preventive Services Task More than 20 states, mostly
peal and seek a stay of the O’Connor, a nominee of types of cancer siding with Force, which is made up of controlled by Democrats,
ruling. former President George plaintiffs who include a volunteers. O’Connor ruled had urged O’Connor
“This is not the potential W. Bush, ruled that the en- conservative activist in Tex- that enforcing the recom- against a sweeping ruling
fatal blow to the ACA like tire health care law also as and a Christian dentist mendations was “unlaw- that would do away with
previous court cases, but known as “Obamacare” who opposed mandatory ful” and a violation of the the preventive care cover-
it would limit a very popu- was unconstitutional. The coverage for contracep- Constitution’s Appointment age requirement entirely.
lar benefit that tens of mil- U.S. Supreme Court over- tion and an HIV preven- Clause, which lays out how The ruling applies to rec-
lions of people use,” said turned that ruling. tion treatment on religious government officials can ommendations made by
Larry Levitt, executive vice This time O’Conner blocked grounds. be appointed. the task force after March
president for health policy only the requirement that The requirements for cov- Dr. Michael Barry, chairman 2010, when the Affordable
at the Kaiser Family Foun- most insurers cover a range erage are driven by rec- of the federal task force, Care Act was enacted.q

Gun injuries in U.S. surged during pandemic, CDC study shows

By MIKE STOBBE said in a study published Catherine Barber, a senior violence, including a rise in The CDC study shows a rise
AP Medical Writer Thursday. In 2022, gun inju- injury researcher at Har- guns purchased, more time in gun injuries around mid-
NEW YORK (AP) — For every ries tapered off, but were vard University’s school of spent inside homes where March 2020, after a pan-
American killed by gunfire, still 20% higher than before public health. guns are present and men- demic emergency was de-
an estimated two or more the pandemic. The CDC study results came tal health struggles stem- clared and lockdowns and
more survive, often with Gun injuries rose similarly from more than 2,200 U.S. ming from social isolation other measures were put
terrible injuries a fact that for men and women over hospital emergency de- and economic hardships. into place. q
public health experts say the past three years, while partments, which represent
is crucial to understanding the largest proportional in- the bulk of the nation’s ERs,
the full impact of guns on crease occurred among said Thomas Simon, one
society. children younger than 15, a of the authors of the new
A new government study subset that remains a small study.
highlights just how violent fraction of the overall prob- The study suggests that the
America’s recent past has lem. number of gunshot-related
been by showing a surge Experts say the CDC gun in- ER visits at hospitals in the
in gunfire injuries during jury study, which uses data study rose from around
the COVID-19 pandemic, from hospital emergency 50,000 in 2019 to more than
when the number of peo- departments, helps pro- 72,000 in 2020. Because
ple fatally shooting each vide a more comprehen- more than a quarter of
other and themselves also sive picture of gun violence U.S. hospital emergency
increased. in America than simply departments were not in-
The number of people in- measuring homicides and volved in the study, the ac-
jured by gunfire was near- suicides. tual number is likely signifi-
ly 40% higher in 2020 and “Hospitals are a great cantly higher.
2021, compared with 2019, place to keep the pulse Experts believe a variety The owner of a shooting range, prepares to load bullets in his
9mm semi-automatic handgun for a demonstration, Thursday,
the Centers for Disease on who is being shot, and of factors contributed to June 23, 2022, in New York.
Control and Prevention when and where,” said the pandemic surge in gun Associated Press