Keeping with the timetable many have expected since September, the U.S. Supreme Court says today that yes, it will decide whether or not the health care reform signed by President Obama is constitutional by next July, the AP and Reuters are reporting. In September, the "Obama administration asked the nation's highest court to uphold the centerpiece insurance provision and 26 states separately asked that the entire law be struck down," according to Reuters. Now, the Supreme Court will begin oral arguments in March, according to the AP, with a final decision to come by July -- just in time for it to become a hot-button issue in the 2012 presidential election. So how might the Supreme Court tweak Obama's signature healthcare law? "The high court could leave in place the entire law, it could strike down the individual insurance mandate or other provisions, it could invalidate the entire law or it could put off a ruling on the mandate until after it has taken effect," Reuters says. The Obama administration voiced confidence about the Supreme Court ruling. "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.

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