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| Supreme Court weighs all-or-nothing on Obama healthcare | Supreme Court weighs all-or-nothing on Obama healthcare |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The US Supreme Court is pondering whether President Obama's healthcare law can stand if its core rule that everyone must have medical cover falls. | |
| Wednesday is the last of three days of hearings on the Republican-led legal challenge by 26 states to the reform. | Wednesday is the last of three days of hearings on the Republican-led legal challenge by 26 states to the reform. |
| The court's decision could come in June, in the thick of the campaign for November's presidential election. | The court's decision could come in June, in the thick of the campaign for November's presidential election. |
| The Obama administration will argue if the insurance mandate is quashed, only two other provisions would have to go. | The Obama administration will argue if the insurance mandate is quashed, only two other provisions would have to go. |
| Those provisions bar insurers from refusing coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions and limit how much they can charge in premiums based on a person's age or health. | Those provisions bar insurers from refusing coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions and limit how much they can charge in premiums based on a person's age or health. |
| The law, passed two years ago, aims to extend health insurance to 30 million Americans, but its requirement that all those eligible have medical cover is condemned as an assault on civil liberties by conservatives. | The law, passed two years ago, aims to extend health insurance to 30 million Americans, but its requirement that all those eligible have medical cover is condemned as an assault on civil liberties by conservatives. |
| On Wednesday, opponents of the law are arguing that it must collapse in its entirety if the insurance mandate at its core is struck down. | |
| In August last year, a federal appeals court in Atlanta ruled that the insurance requirement was unconstitutional, but said the rest of the law could remain in place. | In August last year, a federal appeals court in Atlanta ruled that the insurance requirement was unconstitutional, but said the rest of the law could remain in place. |
| This viewpoint will be argued on Wednesday by H Bartow Farr III, a private lawyer appointed by the judges. | This viewpoint will be argued on Wednesday by H Bartow Farr III, a private lawyer appointed by the judges. |
| The court also will spend part of Wednesday considering the states' challenge to the expansion of the Medicaid programme for low-income and disabled Americans. | The court also will spend part of Wednesday considering the states' challenge to the expansion of the Medicaid programme for low-income and disabled Americans. |
| There are nine Supreme Court justices - five appointed by Republican US presidents and four by Democrats. | There are nine Supreme Court justices - five appointed by Republican US presidents and four by Democrats. |
| The law can survive if just one of the conservative appointees joins the four liberals on the bench, but if the conservatives remain unified, the law would be overturned. | The law can survive if just one of the conservative appointees joins the four liberals on the bench, but if the conservatives remain unified, the law would be overturned. |
Who's uninsured? Health insurance rates across the US | Who's uninsured? Health insurance rates across the US |