Kensky Street: Sebelius pushes WellPoint probe -- 'Repeal and replace' messaging dilemma -- Health care in California campaigns -- Missouri, Louisiana, Oklahoma Legislatures weigh anti-reform bills

BREAKING – Avery Johnson reports in the WSJ: “The Obama administration's top health official is urging state regulators and lawmakers to investigate whether WellPoint Inc. made mathematical errors in justifying sharp rate increases around the country. In a letter being sent to state insurance commissioners and governors late Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius calls for a national inquiry into the data underpinning rising health-insurance costs. Ms. Sebelius is seizing on WellPoint's decision last week to withdraw a request for up to a 39% price increases on individual plans in California after an actuary hired by the state found several mistakes in the filing. ‘In light of this recent finding, I urge that, to the extent you have authority to do so, you re-examine any WellPoint rate increases in your state,’ Ms. Sebelius wrote. ‘Even small errors can mean unaffordable premiums for policyholders.’”

Health insurance companies and the government will, at some point, have to work together as public partners to successfully and smoothly implement health care reform, particularly in enrolling millions more in plans by 2014. At some point, but apparently not yet. The Department of Health and Human Services remains engaged in what Secretary Katherine Sebelius has previously characterized as "hand-to-hand combat” with insurance companies, aggressively pursuing the industry with WellPoint often playing the foil. HHS is also fresh out of a battle over rescissions (HHS scolded insurers into dropping the practice late last week.)

It’s Wednesday. “Round here, Pulse’s always on my mind.”

THE GOP’S MESSAGING DILEMMA — Maybe that GOP slogan, “repeal and replace” wasn’t such a good idea after all, or won’t be once past the primaries. A new survey and analysis by Resurgent Republic, founded by the GOP’s Ed Gillespie, finds that “repeal and replace” does not resonate with independent voters.

Here’s the story by POLITICO’s Ken Vogel: “Republican voters want Congress to repeal the healthcare overhaul, aren’t convinced that climate change is happening, and don’t think illegal immigrants should have a way to become citizens or that President Barack Obama has improved the United States’ global standing – all stances that put them at odds with the majority of voters, according to a new survey by Resurgent Republic.

“…The Resurgent Republic poll of 1,000 likely voters found that only 35 percent of respondents agreed with the approach of the GOP members of Congress who sounded the call to ‘repeal and replace’ the health care reform legislation passed in March. Among respondents who identified themselves as Republicans, however, support for a repeal-and-replace strategy was 67 percent, compared to 36 percent among independent respondents. Slightly more popular overall and with independents was an ‘amend and modify’ approach to the overhaul, which 37 percent of respondents supported, including 43 percent of independents.”

QUESTION: If Gillespie’s analysis is correct, what will independent voters make of the movement of Republicans in some states to “nullify” the health care law entirely through state legislative action, a strategy that may keep Republican opposition in the news but, in light of the constitution’s Supremacy Clause, is at best extra-constitutional? For more on this, see items below on Missouri and Louisiana.

POLITICS:

CALIFORNIA: While we’re on the subject of GOP messaging, Seema Mehta reports in the LA Times: “Healthcare is a headache for GOP candidates in California. To win the Republican primary, the three Senate hopefuls must bash the plan signed by Obama. Against Boxer in the fall, the nominee will have to adopt a more moderate stance … The issue is a stark reminder of the difficulties facing Republican candidates in this highly partisan state, even in a year when the political winds are at their backs. The primary voters Republicans are courting are a conservative lot who fiercely oppose the new law. But in November, the winner of the June primary will have to sway voters who by and large support the plan, and who continue to hold Obama, its architect, in high regard. Former Rep. Tom Campbell, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore and former Hewlett-Packard chief Carly Fiorina differ in their approaches to fixing healthcare, but all have said the measure is unconstitutional and must be repealed. … Although the three candidates agree on repeal, they offer different alternatives to reform the system.”