On Thursday, a federal judge in Texas issued a ruling that undermines the provision of free preventive care under the Affordable Care Act. The ruling prevents the Biden administration from implementing this provision of the law that provides patients with certain types of preventive care, such as screenings for cancer, depression, diabetes, and H.I.V. The judge's decision applies to the whole country and could have serious implications for millions of Americans, as it returns the situation to the years before the Obamacare legislation, when insurers were free to choose which preventive services they would provide coverage for.

The decision is in the form of a nationwide injunction and takes effect immediately, meaning millions of Americans will be affected. If the judge's decision stands, it will affect a long list of preventive care services, including tobacco cessation services, screenings for heart disease and pap smears.

The White House has suggested that the ruling is likely to be appealed, and the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services are currently reviewing the decision.