REFORM, NOT REPEAL:

[S]ome healthcare companies, including insurers, doctors groups and hospitals, said they were encouraged by the appointments of experienced healthcare insiders.

"From our standpoint, we want to make sure that as many people as possible maintain (insurance) coverage," said Dr. Mario Molina, CEO of Molina Healthcare, which provides Medicaid and Obamacare individual insurance plans. "I think the pieces of the healthcare puzzle are kind of coming together for us now."

That picture looks increasingly like lawmakers will bring Trump a "repeal" bill in January that lays out at least a two-year timeline for changing the law. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday that the House would start working on repealing and replacing Obamacare "right away," but with a transition period to allow changes to be phased in over time.

That period could be up to three years, warned Senate Finance committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, in order "to work through the problems."

Kathleen Harrington, chair of Policy of Government Relations for the Mayo Clinic, said so far she likes what she hears from Republicans on changes to health insurance.

"We are very encouraged with the approach we're hearing so far from President-elect Trump in terms of having a focused review and removing certain parts of it," she said.

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