U.S. Supreme Court to hear healthcare challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court would hear a legal challenge to the Obama administration's healthcare reform law, a move hailed by both parties, the court said on Monday. The lawsuit, filed by 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Businesses, is expected to be heard by the high court in Feb. or March, with a ruling likely in summer. The court decided to hear arguments on four questions. One is about the so-called individual mandate, which requires almost all Americans buy health insurance or face a penalty. The provision is at the heart of the legal challenges the law is facing, as opponents say it exceeds the boundaries the Constitution gives the Congress to regulate interstate activities. Also on the list is a provision which requires the states to expand eligibility for their Medicaid programs. Critics say it is an unconstitutional imposition on the states. Additionally, the court will hear arguments on two procedural issues. The healthcare law, the Obama administration's signature legislative achievement, has been surrounded with legal challenges soon after it was passed by the Congress last year. There have been a lot of speculations about whether and when the high court would take up the case given its potentially significant political and legal implications. The court's decision was welcomed by both parties. "We know the Affordable Care Act is constitutional and are confident the Supreme Court will agree," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said in a statement. Republican leadership in the House of Representatives, Speaker John Boehner, said in a statement that "this government takeover of healthcare is threatening jobs, increasing costs, and jeopardizing coverage for millions of Americans, and I hope the Supreme Court overturns it."