Federal judge schedules health care reform trial for October

JACKSON — A federal judge in Mississippi has scheduled a trial for October in a lawsuit that claims the Obama Administration’s health care law is unconstitutional.

The lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg claims the law violates individual privacy rights by forcing citizens to disclose medical information to insurance companies when they are required to purchase policies.

The government denies that.

The suit was filed by three Mississippi residents in April 2010. Gov. Phil Bryant, who was lieutenant governor at the time, later joined the lawsuit.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling last month that upheld most of the law.

U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett scheduled the trial for the court’s October term, though a specific date hasn’t been set. A pretrial conference is set for Aug. 10.