Overnight Healthcare: Centrists push back on new ObamaCare repeal plan | Ryan tamps down expectations | Gallup finds majority back ObamaCare for first time

A new proposal from the White House and GOP leaders to revive ObamaCare repeal is facing pushback from centrist Republicans who were already wary of the legislation.

Seeking to win over conservative holdouts, Republicans have talked of changing the healthcare bill so that states can apply for waivers from two key ObamaCare regulations.

The first regulation, known as essential health benefits, requires insurance plans to cover services like mental health and prescription drugs. The second, known as community rating, prevents insurers from charging higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions.

Conservatives have long argued that the two regulations drive up premiums, and some of them have reacted favorably to the proposal.

{mosads}But the attempt to move the bill further to the right threatens to erode support among moderate members who were already wary of the first version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA).

“While we haven’t picked up any votes yet, this concept is already showing signs of losing a ton of them,” a senior Republican source said.

Centrist Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.) indicated he is still a “no” on the healthcare bill and warned against allowing sick people to be charged more.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2nBFZ2r

Ryan tamps down expectations

With last month’s Republican healthcare bill collapse still fresh in his mind, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Tuesday tried to tamp down expectations for a deal to repeal and replace ObamaCare and declined to say whether the House would hold a vote by the end of the week.

His remarks followed a flurry of meetings between Vice President Mike Pence, other top White House officials, the Tuesday Group of centrists and the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus.

“These are ongoing talks. We want our members to talk with each other about how we can improve the bill to get consensus. Those productive talks are happening. We’re at the concept stages right now,” Ryan told reporters after a closed-door meeting with rank-and-file Republicans.

“So right now, we’re just at that conceptual stage about how to move forward in a way we can get everybody to 216 [votes]. … It’s premature to say where we are or what we’re on because we’re at that conceptual stage.”

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2oXkjPy

GOP health proposal could lead to higher premiums for sick people

New discussions around the White House’s ObamaCare repeal effort could lead to more expensive health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.

While Republicans have indicated they would keep ObamaCare’s provision that requires insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions, a new proposal from the White House could lead to sicker people paying more for coverage.

Vice President Mike Pence presented an offer to the conservative House Freedom Caucus on Monday that would allow states to apply for waivers to repeal two ObamaCare regulations: essential health benefits, which mandate which services insurers must cover; and “community rating,” which requires insurers to charge sick people the same rate as healthy people if they’re the same age.

Under this proposal, expected to be released as early as Tuesday night, people with pre-existing conditions could still get healthcare — but insurers might be able to charge them much more than they’re currently paying under ObamaCare.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2nUBcuS

Poll: Most want Trump to try to make ObamaCare work

A vast majority of Americans want the Trump administration to try to find a way to save ObamaCare, according to a new poll released Tuesday.

The Kaiser Health Tracking Poll found that 75 percent respondents said the current administration “should do what they can” to make the healthcare law functional. 

Only 19 percent of responders said President Trump should do what it can to make the law fail.

The desire to make ObamaCare work was particularly strong among Democrats and Independents, but a majority of Republicans also favored trying to make ObamaCare work. While 38 percent of Republicans want the administration to do what it can to make the law fail, 51 percent want the president and his team to do what they can to make it work. The Hill’s Nikita Vladimirov has more here: http://bit.ly/2oX80mq

Gallup: ObamaCare has majority support for first time

More than half of Americans approve of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a Gallup poll out Tuesday, marking the first time the law has gained majority support since Gallup began tracking public opinion on it in 2012.

Fifty-five percent of Americans say that former President Barack Obama‘s signature healthcare reform law should remain in place, though 40 percent say it needs significant changes. Still, the new rate is up significantly from November, when only 42 percent said they approved of the law. The Hill’s Max Greenwood has more here: http://bit.ly/2nUJD9u

What we’re reading

20 percent of patients with serious conditions are first misdiagnosed, study says (Washington Post)

New study shows higher-than-feared Zika risk to babies (NBC News)

Trump’s effort to lure consumers to exchanges could bring skimpier plans (Kaiser Health News)

State by state

Crushed by defeat, patients and providers vow to fight on to expand Medicaid in Kansas (Stat News)

With ObamaCare here to stay, some states revive Medicaid expansion talks (NPR)