The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit has ruled unconstitutional a key provision in The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, signed last year, The Wall Street Journal reported today.
In a 2-1 decision, the federal court agreed with 26 states that had challenged the law.
However, it also said that though the so-called individual mandate provision, which requires everyone to buy health insurance by 2014 or face fines, exceeded Congress's power, the rest of the law is constitutional. That ruling invalidates a lower court's decision.
The ruling conflicts with a June decision by a Cincinnati federal appeals court, which upheld the law.
CNN.com reported that the decision will set up "a likely election-year showdown at the Supreme Court over the landmark legislation."