Politics screws the nation again...

(CNN) -- Liberal and moderate Democrats have reached "broad agreement" on a health care bill that will be sent to the Congressional Budget Office Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday.

Reid and the two senators who led the negotiations -- Charles Schumer and Mark Pryor -- would not reveal any details of the plan.

"It goes without saying it's been kind of a long journey," Reid said. "Tonight we've overcome a real problem that we had. I think it's fair to say the debate at this stage has been portrayed as a very divisive one."

Senators have been stymied over several issues, most notably a proposal to provide a public insurance option for those who have no other way to obtain insurance and an amendment offered by Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska to tighten restrictions on federal funding for abortion.

Nelson's amendment was tabled on a 54-45 vote Tuesday afternoon, effectively killing it from further consideration. The House version of the bill contains the restrictive language.

"We can't disclose the details of what we've done but believe me we've got something that is good, that I think is very good," Reid said. "For us it moves this bill way down the road."

Earlier, the negotiating senators said the ideas under discussion would replace the controversial public option in a compromise intended to win the support of the chamber's entire Democratic caucus.

"All of the pieces have to fit together before anyone agrees on anything, but in that area we have pretty good consensus," said Schumer of New York.

Senate Republicans unanimously oppose the health care bill so far, so it will require support from all 60 members of the Democratic caucus for it to pass.

Schumer described four components under discussion to replace a public option that is favored by liberal Democrats but opposed by some moderates and all Republicans.

The compromise ideas include a not-for-profit private insurance option overseen by the federal Office of Personnel Management, much like the current health plan for federal workers; allowing people 55 and older to buy into Medicare coverage that currently is available to those 65 and older; expanding the Medicaid program for low-income people "without too much extra cost" and additional insurance reform measures, Schumer said.

Two of the negotiators, liberal Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and moderate Nelson, were working out the additional unspecified reforms, according to Schumer.

"If we're not going to get the public option ... then there have to be other ways to encourage discipline and self restraint" in the health insurance industry to hold down overall costs, Rockefeller said.

Schumer said the challenge of a compromise is reaching a balance on government involvement in health care.

"What we are trying to do is reconfigure that, not having more of one or less of one, but in different ways that are more acceptable," Schumer said.

Two senators who oppose a public option, moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, said they were open to the nonprofit private alternative to a public option.

"It can be an innovative approach," said Snowe, considered to be perhaps the lone GOP senator who might support the health care bill. "I just would need to understand more about how it would work."

Lieberman, a member of the Democratic caucus who said he would join a Republican filibuster if the health care bill contains a public option, called the alternative "an idea worth considering, so long as it remains private insurance companies that would be essentially regulated by OPM."

However, both Lieberman and Snowe expressed concern over the idea of allowing Americans age 55 and older to buy into Medicare.

"I want to make sure we're not adding a big additional burden to the Medicare program which we need to figure out how to save because it's going bankrupt," Lieberman said.

The idea appeals to liberal Democrats seeking to expand health coverage to more Americans and could offset their opposition to a bill that lacks a full public option as originally proposed.

Other ideas in the package under discussion include expanding the Medicaid program more than currently called for in the bill and expanding a proposal in the bill that gives money to states to allow them to cover low-income people through existing programs instead of Medicaid.

Snowe flatly rejected a possible expansion of Medicaid.

"It's a huge burden on the states," Snowe said. "It is without question, and without a doubt a very expensive proposition."

Senators taking part in the talks include Schumer and liberals Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Rockefeller, Tom Harkin of Iowa and Sherrod Brown of Ohio; along with moderates Thomas Carper of Delaware, Nelson, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.


'Broad agreement' reached on Senate health care bill, says Reid - CNN.com