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President-elect Donald Trump says he wants to preserve health insurance coverage even as he pursues repeal of the Obama-era overhaul that provided it to millions of uninsured people. How his administration handles a pending lawsuit over billions of dollars in insurance subsidies will reveal whether Trump wants an orderly transition to a Republican-designed system or if he'd push "Obamacare" over a cliff. Stripping away the subsidies at issue in the case would put the program into a free-fall. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 11/16)

Ascendant Republicans who have put a repeal of the Affordable Care Act at the top of their to-do list face a set of early, key decisions that will test the party’s consensus on the issue. Among them: How much of the 2010 health law to strike early on, how soon and how closely to work with Democrats in shaping a replacement, and how much leeway to give consumers who might be caught without coverage in between a repeal and a new law. Lawmakers who weren’t necessarily expecting Donald Trump to win the presidency now see they can move ahead more boldly on the health law than they anticipated. (Radnofsky and Armour, 11/15)

Two top House Republicans on health policy reiterated promises Monday to replace the Affordable Care Act after repealing it. Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), who is vying to lead the Energy and Commerce Committee next year, said the House GOP’s “Better Way” health plan will be the starting point for reform efforts. He referenced high-risk pools as the best way to require insurers to cover pre-existing conditions without having a mandate to purchase plans. Tax credits would help people afford coverage, he said. ... Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) said Republicans won’t repeal the Affordable Care Act without offering a replacement, but he expects that effort could take several months of hearings and legislative work. (McIntire, 11/15)

Starting in January, Republicans will control the white house and both chambers of Congress. After promising to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, president-elect Donald Trump has said he’d now like to keep some elements of the law. Republicans who have voted for years to repeal the law now have their chance to enact a replacement. Medicare and Medicaid might also see major changes under a GOP-controlled White House and Congress. (11/16)

The nation’s leading doctors group is warning the incoming Trump administration not to strip away a single person’s health coverage as it works to dismantle ObamaCare.  The American Medical Association (AMA) on Tuesday released a two-page document that outlines its top goals for healthcare reform under incoming President Trump. One of the top items is making sure that “any future proposals do not cause individuals covered as a result of [Affordable Care Act] provisions to become uninsured,” the AMA wrote." A core principle is that any new reform proposal should not cause individuals currently covered to become uninsured,” the group said. (Ferris, 11/15)

The American Medical Association’s House of Delegates vowed Tuesday to work with the incoming Trump administration and Congress on health care reform, but said any new reforms shouldn’t result in people losing coverage. “A core principle is that any new reform proposal should not cause individuals currently covered to become uninsured,” the group said in a statement. “We will also advance recommendations to support the delivery of high quality patient care. Policymakers have a notable opportunity to also reduce excessive regulatory burdens that diminish physicians’ time devoted to patient care and increase costs.” (McIntire, 11/15)

Republicans are still celebrating their election victories, but the country's GOP governors warned this week that they need to move fast on many of the changes that have been promised to voters. ... Most of the GOP governors mentioned health care when discussing their top priorities. But it became evident they are not in complete agreement on how to unwind President Barack Obama's health care overhaul that included an expansion of Medicaid, the nation's main safety net health care program for the poor. (Fineout, 11/16)