As the Supreme Court has announced it will hear a challenge to Obama’s health care overhaul, it is worth noting that a majority of Americans now support one of the law’s most controversial elements.

A new CNN/ORC International poll found that 52 percent of those surveyed favor requiring all Americans to have health insurance, up from 44 percent in June.

“The health insurance mandate has gained most support since June among older Americans and among lower-income Americans,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “A majority of independents opposed the measure in June, but 52 percent of them now favor it.”

The shift in public opinion signifies that popular criticism of “Obamacare” is declining, despite continued efforts by conservatives — including the lobbyist wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — to overturn the law on grounds of constitutionality.