A federal judge in Texas has struck down a crucial provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that mandates insurers to provide preventive services, including free cancer screenings. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor issued a ruling in Fort Worth that finds the makeup of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force unlawful since the panel's volunteer members are not appointed by the president nor confirmed to their positions by the Senate. Under the ACA, insurers must cover over 100 preventive health services, as directed by the panel. Judge O'Connor's ruling now exempts insurance companies from covering preventive services set out in the decision, including screenings for lung cancer, diabetes, and other forms of care. This puts the health insurance of over 150 million Americans at risk, who hold private insurance with preventive services covered via the ACA. The case was filed by a Christian dentist, John Kelley, and Braidwood Management, a group run by Texas activist Steven Hotze, challenging the federal government. The decision leaves the contraceptive mandate of the ACA untouched. The Biden administration is expected to appeal Thursday's ruling.