Politics in play around health law implementation issues

For instance, the governor of Oklahoma returned a $54 million grant in part to demonstrate her opposition to implementing the overhaul. Meanwhlie, the Center for Public Integrity reports on how insurance brokers are trying to change key parts of the measure. Finally, Politico Pro explores what might be next for the repeal movement.

Politico: Oklahoma Governor Returns $54M Health Care Grant
Oklahoma "will not accept the $54 million Early Innovator Grant" Fallin announced Thursday afternoon, noting that the move "accomplishes my goal from the very beginning: stopping the implementation of the president's federal health care exchange in Oklahoma" (Kliff, 4/14).

Center For Public Integrity: Insurance Brokers Seek Health Reform Change To Safeguard Profits
Like many Washington battles, the clash over a rule governing Medical Loss Ratio sounds more than a little obscure. But the import of a bill that would alter the so-called "MLR" rule is perhaps more accurately measured by the powerful trade associations lobbying on it, or the hundreds of thousands of dollars contributed to the legislation's many co-sponsors. What's at stake ... are the fates of insurance brokers and agents nationwide or the future of one of the most consumer-friendly provisions of President Barack Obama's health reform plan. Veteran Hill watchers say the legislation may experience tough sledding. But for now, the behind-the-scenes action is intense (Israel, 4/14).

Politico Pro: What's Next For The Health Reform Repeal Movement?
Opponents of the health care law aren't giving up on trying to repeal parts of it, but they're facing the reality that they've just lost one of their best chances to shut it down. The House voted easily Thursday to cut off funding for the law, 240-185, but the Senate defeated the measure later the same day, 47-53. So Republicans and pro-repeal groups are moving on to targeted repeal efforts, and they may put special focus on the Independent Payment Advisory Board — the same board that President Barack Obama wants to expand. Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee, told POLITICO Thursday that an IPAB repeal bill is most likely one of the next steps the subcommittee will take up, because it's "what I call low-hanging fruit" (Nather, 4/15).