Obamacare Alternative Gets New Shot With Labor Chief Acosta Out (1)

A powerful coalition of GOP state attorneys general is lobbying the Labor Department for a directive that would give them flexibility to expand cheaper alternatives to Obamacare.

They’ll get a second chance with Patrick Pizzella about to take over the department when Alex Acosta departs on July 19. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who’s leading the coalition of states, said he’s more optimistic about succeeding under Pizzella, a veteran GOP operative with a more aggressive reputation than Acosta.

The request comes as the Labor Department is defending a lawsuit over a regulation, known as the association health plan rule, that ...