Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander (right) said that he's going to try again with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray (left) to stabilize insurance markets. | Alex Brandon/AP Alexander, Murray to meet for bipartisan health talks

GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander will meet with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray on Wednesday to try to salvage their bipartisan health care efforts, Alexander said in an interview.

House and Senate Republican leaders rejected the effort last week, preferring instead to try another partisan attempt at Obamacare repeal. Alexander said now that that's collapsed, he's going to try again with Murray to stabilize insurance markets.


Still, Alexander said he needs broader buy-in than just a deal between him and Murray, the two leaders of the Senate's health committee.

"We're going to see if it's possible to find some bipartisan consensus that can get a result," Alexander said. "I'm talking to her, I'm talking to Republicans and I'm talking to some Democrats."

Senate Republicans say they are still wary of any "bailout" of insurance companies and are skeptical Democrats will make concessions. But Murray did make an offer to Alexander that would allow the sale of some cheaper plans and more state flexibility before their effort ended.

Democrats have said they were very close to striking a deal until GOP leaders stomped on it.

"Chairman Alexander and I had been making great progress toward our goals of stabilizing the market and reducing premiums — with many members on and off our committee — until Republican leaders pulled the rug out from under us," Murray said Tuesday. "Now — the two weeks since our last hearing have been wasted."

Some Republicans also still want to make another go at Obamacare repeal next year, in an all-GOP effort. But Alexander insisted the two approaches are compatible, as the repeal bill sponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana to block-grant health care to the states would kick in mostly in 2020 and Alexander and Murray are focused on stabilizing premiums in 2018 and 2019.

"Whether or not the Cassidy bill will pass, we need to do the kind of things I'm thinking about," Alexander said.