Mr Trump put Vice-President-elect Mike Pence in charge of his transition team<\/a>, replacing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.<\/p>\n
\nAnalysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter<\/h2>\n
“Repeal and replace” – with emphasis on the former over the latter – has been the Republican mantra when it comes to Barack Obama’s healthcare reform for the past six years. Candidate Donald Trump echoed this when he labelled the programme a “disaster” and promised something much better if he were elected president.<\/p>\n
Just days after the US public gave Mr Trump the keys to the Oval Office, however, he said there were parts of Mr Obama’s signature legislative achievement worth keeping.<\/p>\n
The challenge for the president-elect is that the Obamacare features he praises – such as its mandate that insurers cover pre-existing medical conditions – are made possible by portions of the law he has condemned, like requiring all Americans to obtain insurance.<\/p>\n
Keeping the law’s carrots while abandoning its sticks could prove difficult.<\/p>\n
Complicating the matter is that a “revise and reform” effort may not fly with Mr Trump’s ardent supporters and the cadre of arch-conservative politicians in Congress, who want to tear up the law “root and branch”.<\/p>\n
Mr Trump often broke with Republican orthodoxy while campaigning and didn’t pay a political price. He may learn that as president he won’t get far without his party establishment’s help.<\/p>\n
\nDuring the election campaign, Mr Trump said the government-run health insurance marketplace was “a total disaster” and “a catastrophe”.<\/p>\n
“Obamacare is just blowing up,” he said only last month, while promising his own plan would deliver “great healthcare at a fraction of the cost”.<\/p>\n
While running for president, Mr Trump did not offer much detail on what he envisaged would be Obamacare’s replacement.<\/p>\n
The Republican’s plan included tax-deductible health savings accounts and allowing insurers to sell coverage across state lines.<\/p>\n
His apparent change of heart on Friday comes amid a surge in applications to join the plan from Americans possibly fearful it is about to be overturned.<\/p>\n
More than 100,000 applicants snapped up Obamacare health insurance on the day after Tuesday’s election, this year’s biggest sign-up, the Obama administration announced.<\/p>\n
About 22 million Americans would be without insurance if the law was repealed.<\/p>\n
Congressional Republicans have voted more than 50 times to undo the law.<\/p>\n
Though the Republicans have maintained control of the Senate, they cannot repeal the Affordable Care Act in its entirety because under Senate rules, the Democratic minority remain in a position to block the move.<\/p>\n
The Republicans could, however, starve parts of the bill of funding through a budgetary process called reconciliation.<\/p>\n
The law has not been without its difficulties.<\/p>\n
Last month, the Obama administration said the average cost of medical coverage under the bill was expected to rise by 25% next year for those Americans who do not qualify for subsidies.<\/p>\n
And about one in five consumers would only be able to pick plans from a single insurer, it added.<\/p>\n
Former President Bill Clinton last month called the unsubsidised portion of the law “the craziest thing in the world”.<\/p>\n
In the US – unlike in many other Western countries – private companies, rather than the government, provide health insurance for most citizens.<\/p>\n
___
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