House Speaker Ryan says healthcare talks at 'conceptual stage'

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Tuesday Republican lawmakers are having productive talks on a new healthcare reform bill, but it was too soon to say if and when a new proposal would be put forth.

"It's premature to say where we are or what we're on because we're at that conceptual stage right now," Ryan told reporters. "We don't have a bill text or an agreement yet, but this is the kind of conversations we want."

Republicans are making healthcare reform their top priority for now, a source familiar with the agenda talks told Reuters, after the first effort collapsed on March 24.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)