The Obama administration saw another victory Friday in its continued push for healthcare reform. A federal appeals court overturned a previous ruling that prevented the National Institutes of Health from funding stem cell research, according to Medpage Today.

In a statement that was released Thursday by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, the White House praised the decision.

"We’re heartened that the court will allow NIH and their grantees to continue moving forward while the appeal is resolved," he said.

The research community was also elated by the news. Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of NIH, expressed his sentiments to the New York Times, stating that "this is a momentous day not only for science but for the hopes of thousands of patients and their families who are relying on NIH-funded scientists to pursue life-saving discoveries and therapies that could come from stem cell research."

Researchers and patients alike hope that continued efforts will improve treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Such breakthroughs could positively impact health insurance costs in the future by limiting the amount of care a patient will need throughout his or her life.