Supreme Court won't hear healthcare appeal

WASHINGTON, April 25 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an early review of a challenge to the new U.S. healthcare law by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli Monday.

No justice dissented and no comments were offered, Scotusblog.com said.

The action returns the case to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"The petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment is denied," the order says.

Cuccinelli, a Republican who is challenging the law's mandate that individuals must have health insurance, petitioned the court to consider the case as soon as possible, The Hill reported.

"Given the importance of the issues at stake to the states and to the economy as a whole," Cuccinelli argued in his Feb. 8 motion, "this court should grant certiorari to resolve a matter of imperative public importance."

Two federal judges have ruled the law's individual mandate is unconstitutional, but several others have upheld it.

The Obama administration has argued the matter should go through the appeals process, while critics of the healthcare law said the divergent opinions issued so far are creating legal uncertainty and should be resolved by the Supreme Court as soon as possible.