
The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to hear a case challenging the health care reforms in President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
Initial arguments are expected to begin in March and a decision may be reached as early as June.
The ruling may be the final blow in an ongoing battle over whether or not Congress has the constitutional power to force citizens to maintain health insurance or face a penalty.
The debate reached the Supreme Court for the first time in July when a Michigan-based firm filed a cert petition appealing a 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that the health care overhaul is within constitutional bounds.
The case that will be heard before the nation’s highest court comes from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta. That case was the only instance in which the insurance mandate was struck down, according to the New York Times.
While the 11th Circuit ruling applied only to the individual insurance mandate and left out the rest of the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court announced that it will consider the mandate and, if it is deemed unconstitutional, determine what other parts of the health care law must be cut as well.