"The immediate and most visible effect of ACA repeal would be the loss of coverage and access to care for millions of people who have gained insurance because of the law,  This study points to even larger potential economic effects that would be detrimental to the health and well-being of millions more."

—Sara Collins, Ph.D., Vice President, The Commonwealth Fund

"President Obama’s health law really has been good for business. Republicans’ plan to dismantle it will take the country back to an era of high health-care inflation. If only CEOs would say as much before it is too late." 

—Annie Lamont, Managing Partner, Oak HC/FT and Ezekiel Emanuel, University of Pennsylvania

• Battle Lines Drawn on Obamacare Repeal: The Hill by Peter Sullivan and Jordain Carney—Democrats and Republicans are honing their lines of attack for a battle over Obamacare repeal that is likely to consume Washington for much of the year.
  
  

• Obama Warns 'Repeal and Delay' Is 'Reckless' in New England Journal Essay: Politico by By Brianna Ehley and Joanne Kenen—President Obama has penned another essay for the New England Journal of Medicine, warning that the Republican plan to repeal Obamacare and delay replacement for several years is "reckless" and "irresponsible."
  
  

• Republicans Offer No Plan to Repeal Obamacare as More Party Members Express Concern: The Los Angeles Times by Noam N. Levey and Lisa Mascaro—After demanding for six years that the Affordable Care Act be gutted, Republican leaders refused Wednesday to outline concrete steps to repeal and replace it, even as members of their party voiced growing reservations about rolling the law back without a viable alternative.
  
  

• Ryan: Lawmakers Will Act This Year on Replacing Health Law: Associated Press by Alan Fram—Lawmakers will act this year on bills not simply repealing President Barack Obama's health care law but replacing it as well, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday. The remarks by Ryan, R-Wis., suggested a faster schedule than some had expected on reshaping the nation's health care system. While Republicans have said they plan to vote this year on dismantling Obama's law, Ryan went a step further, saying they also would write legislation to replace it in 2017.
  
  

• Stand Up for ObamaCare, CEOs: Wall Street Journal by Annie Lamont and Ezekeil J. Emanuel (paywall)—America’s CEOs might not admit it in public, but the Affordable Care Act—aka Obamacare—has been good for business. Company benefits managers have watched as the double-digit premium increases under President George W. Bush slowed to a crawl. Venture funding has flooded into health care, boosting startups and stimulating innovation.

• Obamacare repeal costs: 3 million jobs gone, $1.5 trillion in lost gross state product: CNBC by Dan Mangan—Spending less by getting rid of Obamacare could end up costing a whole lot more. Up to 3 million jobs in the health sector and other areas would be lost if certain key provisions of the Affordable Care Act are repealed by Congress, a new report said Thursday. At the same time, ending those provisions could lead to a whopping $1.5 trillion reduction in gross state product from 2019 through 2023, according to the study. See: Repealing Federal Health Reform: Economic and Employment Consequences for States
  
  

• Older Americans at Risk as U.S. Congress Takes Axe to Obamacare: CNBC by Mark Miller—Anyone nearing retirement—or already retired—should pay very close attention to the doings of the 115th Congress that was sworn in this week. Repeal of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act tops the agenda for Republicans, who will control the White House as well as both houses of Congress when Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
  
  

• Doctors Group Warns Against Loss of Coverage From Obamacare Repeal: The Hill by Peter Sullivan—The American Medical Association wrote a letter to congressional leaders on Tuesday calling for the gains in coverage from ObamaCare, which has expanded insurance to 20 million people, to be preserved.
  
  

• A Bipartisan Reason to Save Obamacare: New York Times by Tina Rosenberg—The ACA is more than insurance. As the Times reported Monday, the law is leading a transformation of America’s health care system. It’s a change that nearly everyone, Republicans and Democrats, agrees is desperately needed—and for it to happen, the relevant parts of the ACA must be preserved. The transformation moves health care away from a fee-for-service model, which pays doctors and hospitals according to the number of procedures they do, toward value-based care, which pays based on what helps patients get better.
  
  

• Bundled Payments Work, Study Finds, But HHS Nominee No Fan: Kaiser Health News by Rachel Bluth—A recent change in the way Medicare pays for joint replacements is saving millions of dollars annually—and could save billions—without impacting patient care, a new study has found. But the man Donald Trump has picked to be the secretary of Health and Human Services has vocally opposed the new mandatory payment program and is likely to revoke it.

• Obamacare Sign-Ups Reach 8.8 Million as Repeal Efforts Start: Bloomberg News by Zachary Tracer—Obamacare sign-ups for 2017 coverage rose about 2.3 percent from the same time last year, as efforts to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care reform begins in Congress. About 8.8 million people enrolled in individual insurance plans through the HealthCare.gov website as of Dec. 31, compared with 8.6 million last year.

• Prognosis for Rx in 2017: More Painful Drug-Price Hikes: CBS News Money Watch by Aimee Picchi—Prescription drug costs for Americans under 65 years old are projected to jump 11.6 percent in 2017, or at a quicker pace than the 11.3 percent price increase in 2016, according to consulting firm Segal Consulting. Older Americans won’t get much of a break: Their drug costs are projected to rise 9.9 percent next year, compared with 10.9 percent in 2016. By comparison, wages are expected to rise just 2.5 percent in 2017.