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Asked at a confirmation hearing two weeks ago if he was working with President Trump on a secret plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, Representative Tom Price, Mr. Trump’s nominee for secretary of health and human services, smiled broadly and answered: “It’s true that he said that, yes.” The committee room, filled with health care lobbyists, consumer advocates and others with a vital stake in the future of the health care law, erupted with knowing laughter at Mr. Price’s careful formulation. (Shear and Pear, 2/6)

There's a moment in the Broadway musical Hamilton where George Washington says to an exasperated Alexander Hamilton: "Winning is easy, young man. Governing's harder." When it comes to health care, it seems that President Trump is learning that same lesson. Trump and Republicans in Congress are struggling with how to keep their double-edged campaign promise — to repeal Obamacare without leaving millions of people without health insurance. (Kodjak, 2/6)

A House conservative leader called Monday for votes "as soon as possible" on legislation voiding and replacing the health care law, even as President Donald Trump's latest remarks conceded that the effort could well stretch into next year. (2/6)

Some observers welcomed Trump's statement as his belated recognition of the reality of the cumbersome legislative process. They argued it gives congressional Republicans political permission to slow down and craft a more workable replacement plan -- even though House conservatives are demanding swift and total repeal with or without a replacement ready. But others said the president's words signal that the GOP repeal-and-replace train could be headed for a train wreck. (Meyer, 2/6)

The Trump administration is considering major changes to Obamacare that may help convince insurers to remain in the law's marketplaces while Congress drafts a replacement plan — but the proposals may also limit enrollment and increase costs for older Americans, according to documents obtained by POLITICO. The administration is looking to alter rules around insurers charging older customers more, how much cost they can shift onto customers, and who's allowed to sign up outside the standard enrollment window. They represent changes that the industry had previously asked the Obama administration to make. (Diamond, Haberkorn and Demko, 2/6)

In the clearest sign yet that Republicans are tapping on the brakes on health care, President Donald Trump over the weekend said that an Obamacare replacement plan is coming by the end of this year, maybe early 2018. That's very different from last month, when the president was talking about a plan coming as soon as his Health and Human Services nominee Tom Price was confirmed. Many hospitals see the GOP going from a sprint to a slow jog as a lobbying win for them in Washington. (Gorenstein, 2/6)