Washington (CNN) -- House Democrats are signaling that a final health care bill will drop the government-run public health insurance option favored by liberals but rejected by conservatives from both parties. A House-Senate conference committee will begin negotiations next month on merging health care bills passed by the Democratic majorities in each chamber. However, voting in both chambers was extremely close, raising concerns that a compromise might fail to win the necessary final approval. One of the main differences between the two measures is the public option. The House bill contains the public option as a competitor to private insurers in a national heath insurance exchange open to people now unable to get coverage, but the Senate version lacks a public option.
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Close votes in House, Senate raise fears that compromise might not win approval
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House bill contains public option to compete with private insurers; Senate version does not
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Obama has expressed support for option but stops short of insisting on provision
Such precarious support allowed individual moderates in the @placeholder caucus to wield major influence on the bill, with at least two -- Sens.