Despite election, health overhaul faces changes and legal challenges

Lawsuits continue to go forward against the health law and some politicians continue to vow repeal efforts.

Politico: The Legal Hurdles Obamacare Still Must Clear
The Supreme Court gave its definitive ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act in June. But that hasn't stopped three other legal challenges to core provisions of Obamacare -; including the mandates and subsidies -; that could unravel big parts of the law if they succeed. ... while the lawyers fight it out, the cases continue to be political irritants and a way to keep the antagonism to the law burning hot (Kenen, 11/13).

The Washington Post: After Election, Health Care Lobbyists Tweak Strategy
Ilisa Halpern Paul, a health care lobbyist and head of government relations at Drinker Biddle & Reath, is a native Californian. Her deputy, Jodie Curtis, is from Wisconsin, and fellow lobbyist Jeremy Scott is from Ohio. ... [Obama's re-election] is prompting the three of them to become self-taught experts on their home states' politics and major policymaking players. That's because the federal health care law requires states to build online marketplaces, called health insurance exchanges ... many health care lobbyists are shifting their attention from federal agencies and Capitol Hill to the 50 state legislatures that will be calling the shots (Ho, 11/11).

Politico: Price Not Willing To Admit Defeat On Obamacare
Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) isn't ready to join House Speaker John Boehner in admitting President Barack Obama's health care reform law was the "law of the land." ... "I can tell you, as a physician, we're not opposed to the president's health care law because of this election, we're opposed because it's bad policy" (Robillard, 11/11).

USA Today: Improvements Sought For Health Insurance Law
Democrats and Republicans say now is the time for them to come together to fix [the health law]. ... "It's pretty clear to me that the [law] will not end up the way it is now," said Doug Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum ... The analysts do agree on one thing, even if they don't necessarily agree on how to go about it: Cutting costs through provider payments, rather than through the health care system itself, won't cause health care costs to stabilize (Kennedy, 11/10).

The Washington Post: Paul Ryan: We Didn't Lose On Medicare
In his first post-Election Day television interview, former GOP vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan said Monday that he doesn't believe that the 2012 White House campaign was a referendum on his plan to cut the federal budget and overhaul entitlement programs such as Medicare. "I don't think we lost it on those budget issues, especially on Medicare," Ryan told Jessica Arp, a reporter for Madison CBS affiliate WISC-TV (Sonmez, 11/12).