Strategies, views on the health law's future vary depending on politics

Congressional Republicans continue to appear divided over what their strategy should be if the Supreme Court strikes down all or part of the health law. More immediately, though, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is targeting the measure's device tax as part of the Senate's consideration of a bill that would reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration user fees.

The Wall Street Journal: GOP Mixed On Health Moves
Congressional Republicans are divided over what to do if the Supreme Court strikes down all or part of the health-care overhaul next month. House Republican freshmen from moderate districts say they need to have credible alternatives to present to their constituents if the court-;or lawmakers-;eliminate the law. They are eager to find ways to replicate popular provisions of the law, such as those requiring coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and allowing young adults to stay on their parents' insurance plans until age 26 (Radnofsky, Bendavid and Murray, 5/22).

Modern Healthcare: GOP Targeting Reform Law's Device Tax
The latest effort by Republicans to repeal components of the 2010 healthcare law is expected later this week during Senate consideration of a bill that would reauthorize FDA user fees. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) plans to offer an amendment to the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act to repeal a medical-device tax included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Daly, 5/22).

Meanwhile, other articles report on the parts of the health law that appear to be taking hold even as the Supreme Court's pending decision causes some uncertainty.

The New York Times: Gains In Health Seen As Lasting By Some
The new health care law is already transforming the way care is delivered, and the changes will continue regardless of how the Supreme Court rules on the mandate for most Americans to carry health insurance, a Democratic senator and an Obama administration official said Tuesday (Pear, 5/22).

National Journal: Panelists: Health Care Law's Innovations Taking Hold Despite Supreme Court Case
[Dr. Richard Gilfillan, director of the Innovation Center at the Health and Human Services Department's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] cited as an example "the incredible response" his office received -- some 3,000 applications from private health care providers nationwide -- to a CMS grant offer soliciting models for interpreting data on the cost savings from bundling medical-care payments.  (Clark, 5/22).

And the Fiscal Times reports on how the Court's decision could affect health care costs.

The Fiscal Times: SCOTUS Decision Could Raise Health Care Costs
Spending on health care is slowing down – a much-needed development since the nation's long-term deficit problem is largely tied to projections that spending on Medicare and Medicaid will remain out of control. … The Supreme Court in the next few weeks could rule the entire health care reform law unconstitutional, which would be a blow to cost-control efforts since at least some of the recent slowdown is being attributed to delivery system changes sparked by the law (Goozner, 5/23).