Washington - The debate over US health insurance reform inched forward another step Saturday when the Senate voted 60 to 39 to start debate on a bill that aims to extend coverage and reduce health costs.

It was perhaps the most important vote to date, yet just another step in US President Barack Obama's long struggle to enact far- reaching health insurance reform.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid led the centre-left Democrats' efforts to bring the bill out of committee and onto the floor for debate. He got the bare minimum of 60 votes to start debate, a super majority set by long-standing Senate rules.

The Republicans cast the 39 votes against discussion of the bill. It was not clear which Senator missed the vote.

In discussion before the vote, Reid compared the importance of the Senate vote to historic decisions on slavery, social security and the rights of minority and women voters.

Obama reacted immediately to the victory, issuing a statement calling it a "historic vote that brings us one step closer to reigning in insurance company abuses ... and extending quality health coverage to those who lack it," according to Fox News.

It could be months before the Senate votes on the controversial bill. Several Democrats who voted for discussion, like Senator Blanche Lincoln, warned they would not support the bill in its current form because it calls for a public health insurance plan that would compete with private insurers.

Any bill that passes the Senate would have to go to conference committee to iron out differences with the House of Representatives version that passed earlier this month.

"The road ahead is a long stretch," Reid said after the vote. "We can see the finish line now, but we're not there, we haven't crossed it, and that's an understatement." (dpa)