Dems slow to offer healthcare law changes

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Administration officials have sidestepped specifying what other changes President Obama would support to improve the U.S. healthcare law, The Hill reported.

During the State of the Union address, Obama said he was willing to tackle medical malpractice and called for the elimination of a tax-reporting provision. Pressed for specifics, however, administration officials have been vague about what changes would be acceptable, The Hill reported Friday.

Obama said in a speech in Washington Friday he would work "with anyone" to improve the law, if needed. But he said he won't engage in the political battles of the past two years over healthcare.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius so far hasn't proposed any ideas for compromise, telling the Washington publication before Tuesday's address, "We're happy to talk about other areas that certainly can be improved as we move along."

Pushed by Ways and Means Republicans to identify changes the White House would support, economic adviser Austan Goolsbee also wasn't talkative, The Hill reported.

"I would say that the president's open to working with you if you identify other items," he said.

Republicans said the situation was what they expected.

"It's only after this disastrous bill has become law that the president says he's now interested in making it better, even as he belittles the legitimate concerns so many Americans continue to have about it," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said.