A Judge Let Employers Exclude HIV Prevention From Workers’ Insurance. That’s Not Even the Worst Part.

Judge Reed O’Connor’s decision on Wednesday allowing religious employers to exclude HIV prevention drugs from their insurance plans is obscene. These aspects of the ruling are so morally and intellectually repulsive that they obscure the other frightening facet of the decision: O’Connor has taken direct aim at the federal laws that guarantee coverage for “preventive care,” including vaccines, cancer screenings, domestic violence counseling, maternal health, and children’s wellness. He purported to follow the Supreme Court’s decision in Hobby Lobby, which let employers exclude contraceptive coverage from workers’ health insurance due to religious objections. O’Connor held that the PrEP mandate—which simply allows workers to access HIV prevention medicine through their insurance—imposes a “substantial burden” on employers’ religious beliefs by facilitating gay sex. If the higher courts accept O’Connor’s invitation to destroy these agencies, here’s a partial list of the preventive care that insurers will no longer be required to cover: genetic testing for women with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer; medication to reduce risk of breast cancer; breast cancer screening; breastfeeding support; cervical cancer screenings; STI screening; colorectal cancer screening; HIV tests; domestic violence screening; medication for heart disease; a vast range of screenings for children and pregnant women; and, of course, PrEP.