Democrats also will allow Republicans to offer an alternative to the 1,990-page bill that House leaders unveiled last week after weeks of closed-door negotiations, he said.

The Senate is developing its own similar legislation, and both chambers are racing to complete the effort by the end of the year.

The House bill includes a government-run insurance option, which has become a flashpoint in the debate over the health care overhaul. President Barack Obama and supporters say the option would create competition in the insurance market, while critics say it would lead to a government takeover of the sector.

It requires individuals to buy insurance and all but the smallest employers to offer health coverage to workers. It also would bar insurers from refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions and eliminate the industry's exemption from federal antitrust laws.

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