Republicans have taken control of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) will take over as speaker of the House, while Democrats will maintain a slim majority in the Senate.

As previously reported by FierceHealthcare, the healthcare reform law signed by the president in March will be up against higher scrutiny with one chamber of Congress controlled by the GOP. While Republicans likely won't succeed in repealing the Affordable Care Act, they will attempt to undermine its implementation, according to health policy experts contacted by MedPage Today/ABC News.

Notable states in which Republican governors will replace Democrats include Kansas, Tennessee and Oklahoma, Kaiser Health News reports. Winners included Sam Brownback of Kansas, who called the reform law "an abomination." Tennessee's governor-elect, Bill Haslam, said the law is an "intolerable expansion" of federal power and a "reminder of the incredible arrogance of Washington."

On Capitol Hill, healthcare reform is one of several issues on which the new two-party team will have to find compromise. In a brief phone call late Tuesday, President Obama told Boehner that he was "looking forward to working with him and the Republicans to find common ground, move the country forward and get things done for the American people," the Associated Press reports. In turn, Boehner reportedly stated, "We hope President Obama will now respect the will of the people, change course and commit to making the changes they are demanding. To the extent he is willing to do this, we are ready to work with him."

Despite the upcoming shift in power, the American Medical Association is gearing up for the lame-duck congressional session beginning Nov. 15, during which the organization intends to push for a 13-month patch that would prevent nearly 30 percent in cuts to Medicare physician pay over December and January.

The AMA says the long-term patch is needed to give it time to work with Congress to replace the SGR with a payment mechanism that recognizes increased costs of care. If Congress fails to block the cuts, "this would be a catastrophe," stated AMA president Cecil B. Wilson, MD.

To learn more:
- read the story in MedPage Today
- see this piece in Kaiser Health News
- check out this article from the Washington Post
- here's election analysis from the Associated Press

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