The US Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a challenge by Republican-led states to former president Barack Obama’s health care programme, reports AFP.

The court upheld the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare, which provides insurance for tens of millions of Americans.

This is the third time the court has preserved Obamacare, which became a law in 2010.

Ex-president Donald Trump had tried to reverse the act, but soon after assuming office President Joe Biden urged the Supreme Court to uphold Obamacare.

The lawsuit was filed by Texas and 17 other Republican-governed states, backed by by Trump’s administration.

20 states, including Democratic-governed California and New York and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, intervened to try to preserve Obamacare.