U.S. Senate casts first votes on healthcare bill

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- In its first series of votes on a massive healthcare reform bill, the U.S. Senate approved an amendment on Thursday to provide women with low cost mammograms and other preventative tests.

The Democratic-controlled Senate also rejected a Republican-sponsored counter amendment that sought to prevent government boards from having influence over which screening tests for women would be covered.

The amendments to the historical healthcare bill were prompted by the recent uproar over a controversial recommendation by a government task force that some women should not receive annual mammograms to detect breast cancer.

Democrats wanted to assure women that health care reform won't lead to a rationing of such care and Republicans wanted to make the point that it will.

The votes came on the fourth day of debate in the Senate on the healthcare bill.

Unveiled on Nov. 17, the 2,074-page healthcare reform bill would expand health insurance coverage to 30 million more Americans and was estimated to reduce the federal deficit by 127 billion U.S. dollars in the first decade after it is enacted.

The House of Representative approved its health care reform bill on Nov. 7 by a narrow margin of 220 to 215.

But in the Senate, the bill needs 60 out of 100 votes to get passed.

Democrats hope the bill can be passed in the Senate by Christmas.