Nov 08, 2009
US President Barack Obama has hailed as "historic" the approval of a health bill by the House of Representatives.
He said he was "absolutely confident" the Senate would pass its own version, and that healthcare reforms would become law by the end of the year.
Passed in a narrow 220-215 vote by the House, the bill aims to extend coverage to 36 million more Americans and provide affordable healthcare to 96%.
Mr Obama has made healthcare reform a central plank of his domestic agenda.
Correspondents say the legislation could lead to the biggest changes in American healthcare in decades.
The Senate must now consider its own bill. If it is passed then lawmakers will try to amalgamate the two before the programme can be signed into law by the president.
KEY BILL PROVISIONS
* Aims to provide affordable healthcare to 96% to redress 2008 figure of 47 million uninsured
* Individuals must obtain coverage and most firms must provide it to workers
* Creates an insurance market for purchase of coverage
* One product will be a government health insurance plan
* People with pre-existing health problems cannot be denied insurance
* Funded by raft of measures, including 5.4% surtax on those earning $500,000 a year or more
* Those who earn up to 150% of poverty level to qualify for Medicaid government programme for the poor
* Insurers must justify increases in premiums
