**The United States Senate is preparing to hold its first vote on a major bill designed to overhaul US healthcare provision.**The vote, which requires 60 out of the 100 Senate votes to pass, will decide whether Democrat leader Harry Reid’s bill can go forward for debate.
The Democrats need the votes of two independents to make up the 60, as the chamber’s 40 Republicans are opposed.
US President Barack Obama has made healthcare reform a domestic priority.
Mr Reid’s proposed $849bn (£508bn) bill would extend coverage to 94% of eligible citizens, he said on Friday.
The legislation, which was outlined in a 2,074-page document, is said by Democratic aides to reduce deficits by $127bn (£76bn) over a decade and by as much as $650bn (£389bn) in the 10 years after that.
But it has been criticised by Republicans as being too expensive. They say they will block it, and debate is expected to be fiery.
Anything less than 60 votes for the initial measure will leave the bill vulnerable to Republican delaying tactics.
The House of Representatives narrowly passed its own version of the reforms earlier this month.
Medicare cuts
Under Mr Reid’s bill, most Americans would have to have health insurance, while private insurers would be banned from refusing to provide insurance because applicants had pre-existing medical conditions.
NEXT STEPS
- 30 Nov - Senators return from Thanksgiving recess to debate and propose amendments to the bill
- At least three weeks later - Senators vote on final bill
- If passed, conference committee set up to reconcile Senate and House bills
- Both chambers vote on final version
- If passed, President Obama signs bill into law
The US health system ‘headache’
Insurance would be made more affordable with subsidies available to help those in lower income bands, the Democrats say.
People would also be able to take part in new insurance market places and be able to choose to buy government-sold insurance from 2014, a provision intended to help regulate the prices charged by private companies.
Large companies would be required by law to provide coverage to staff. The costs would be covered by government cuts on future Medicare spending.
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said the bill had “been behind closed doors for weeks” and that the forthcoming debate would not be “short”, the Associated Press news agency reported.
If the Senate passes its bill, it must then be reconciled with the House of Representatives bill and voted on again before the programme can become law.
Mr Reid’s bill differs to the House bill in that he calls for an increase of a half percentage point in Medicare payroll tax for people with an income of over $200,000 (£119,779) per annum - rising to $250,000 (£149,724) for couples.
There is also a tax on high-value insurance policies that is not contained in the House version of the bill.
If approved, the legislation could lead to the biggest changes in American healthcare in decades.