Health care timetable could slip, Reid says

Majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada spoke as Democratic officials said it could be December before Senate debate begins in earnest on the legislation, months after senior lawmakers and the White House had hoped.

House leaders, on a somewhat faster track, pointed toward a vote this weekend on a bill to extend coverage to tens of millions who lack it, ban insurance industry practices such as denying coverage because of preexisting medical conditions, and generally slow the rate of growth of medical spending nationwide. The 10-year, $1.2 trillion legislation would extend coverage to about 96 percent of eligible Americans, and includes an option for consumers to purchase a government insurance plan, an attempt to put pressure on private firms.

House Republicans readied an alternative bill that represented a far different approach to the Democratic blueprint.

The GOP plan calls for loosening restrictions on the insurance industry as a way of expanding coverage. It contained none of the tax increases or Medicare cuts that Democrats rely on, and unlike in the Democratic bills, the Republican draft would permit insurers to continue denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

The measure would place caps on medical malpractice lawsuits, limiting the amount of damages that could be awarded as well as attorney fees. It also called for the permanent ban on federal funding for most abortions. Current restrictions must be renewed annually.

“We believe it’s going to resonate with millions of Americans who don’t want this massive government takeover of health care to become law,’’ said Representative Mike Pence, an Indiana Republican, criticizing the Democratic bill.

While Democratic House leaders weighed final changes to their bill, Reid for the first time publicly raised the possibility that lawmakers would not be able to meet their - and Obama’s - self-imposed deadline of completing work on health care by year’s end.

“We’re not going to be bound by any timelines. We need to do the best job we can for the American people,’’ he said.

At the White House, spokesman Dan Pfeiffer sought to put the best face on the developments. “The House plans to vote on the health reform bill within days. Senator Reid has committed to the president that as soon as the Senate has the information back from the CBO they will move expeditiously to pass health reform,’’ Pfeiffer said.

A few hours later, Reid’s office revised his remarks with a statement. “Our goals remain unchanged. We want to get health insurance reform done this year, and we have unprecedented momentum to achieve that,’’ it said.