The Supreme Court said Monday that it will take up cases involving $12 billion in federal Obamacare payments meant to encourage insurers to cover people with preexisting illnesses.

The payments, known as "risk corridor payments," were intended to be temporary and to help insurers who lost money when they covered people who were sicker and therefore had more expensive medical conditions.

Insurers waged lawsuits for the payments after congressional Republicans, who referred to the fund as a "bailout," reduced and then cut off the funds in 2014 and 2015.

The Supreme Court is hearing three consolidated cases. A district judge had sided with the insurers, but then the government appealed and won, and the rejected a request to rehear the petition.

The case would be considered during the next term, which starts in October and runs through mid-2020.