U.S. President Barack Obama signed on Tuesday his landmark healthcare bill into law, saying it was "a victory for common sense."
"The bill I'm signing will set in motion reforms that generations of Americans have fought for and marched for and hungered to see," Obama said.
"Today's vote answers the prayers of every American who has hoped deeply for something to be done about a healthcare system that works for insurance companies, but not for ordinary people."
Obama said that while the legislation would "not fix everything that ails our healthcare system," it moved the United States "decisively in the right direction."
Vice-President Joe Biden greeted the "historic day," saying it would "change the lives of tens of millions of Americans."
After a fierce debate, the U.S. House of Representatives approved Obama's $938 billion healthcare bill in a narrow 219:212 vote on Monday.
The new law, strongly opposed by Republicans who say it is too costly, will extend medical insurance coverage to some 32 million Americans (about 95% of eligible citizens) who at the moment do not have any.
Today the figure is 83%.
It will bar insurance companies from denying coverage to people with existing medical problems, and charging more from people with an "unfavorable" medical record.
WASHINTGON, March 23 (RIA Novosti)
