Obama’s health-care plan challenged

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to rule on whether President Obama’s health-care overhaul violates the Constitution by forcing people to carry health insurance or pay a fee.

The court will review a challenge to Obama’s health-care reform from the National Federation of Independent Business, a group of Republican governors and attorneys general from 26 states, and two individual plaintiffs, according to the Wall Street Journal. The court will hear oral arguments in March 2012, with a decision expected near the end of June.

The court’s announcement comes on the heels of news that the percentage of uninsured American adults continues to rise, despite provisions in the new health-care laws specifically designed to lower the rate of citizens without coverage. According to a Gallup poll surveying a sample of 90,070 people between July 1 and Sept. 30, the rate of uninsured individuals has risen from 14.4 percent to 17.3 percent since 2008.