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Congress is still on holiday break, but President Obama and Congressional leaders are at work starting to merge the House and Senate health care overhaul bills. Congress watchers say looking back at how the debate got to this point may provide some important clues as to where it might lead. This story comes from our partner

House and Senate lawmakers are beginning to resolve differences between the two chambers' health care overhaul plans. Those differences include the size of the bills, language governing abortion funding and how the bills would be financed. While the House bill includes a government-run health insurance option the Senate bill does not. Negotiations are expected to continue throughout January.

House and Senate lawmakers are beginning to resolve differences between the two chambers' health care overhaul plans. Those differences include the size of the bills, language governing abortion funding and how the bills would be financed. While the House bill includes a government-run health insurance option the Senate bill does not. Negotiations are expected to continue throughout January.

KHN's Mary Agnes Carey calls in from Capitol Hill to discuss next steps, now that Senators have passed a health care bill.

Now that the Senate has passed a hotly debated health care bill, Congress is headed to the next step: House-Senate negotiations in January to try to hammer out a final version. Here's where things stand and how you might be affected.

Polls show opposition and unease about the Democrats' health overhaul bills, but these snapshots of public opinion aren't necessarily good indicators of how voters will feel later about the legislation and the politicians who are trying to push it through Congress.

All 60 members of the Democratic caucus closed ranks behind the bill. And the man getting the credit for bringing them on board is the leader of the Democrats' supermajority, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid.

The Senate continues to debate health care reform with passage of the Democrats' health care bill expected by Christmas Eve.

The Senate continues to debate health care reform with passage of the Democrats' health care bill expected by Christmas Eve. Key differences between the two bills -- in the areas of abortion, financing and a government-run "public plan" health insurance option -- would need to be resolved in a House-Senate conference deal, and approved by both chambers before reaching President Obama's desk.

As the Senate lurches towards a final vote on its health overhaul bill, some people are daring to look ahead to the last step in the painstaking process: marrying the Senate and House bills.

According to a new tracking poll, while the majority of Americans still consider health reform important they are growing dispirited with the ongoing debate.

As part of a continuing series, NPR examines a claim from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. She said that if the Democrats' health bill passes, some taxes would increase right away, while benefits wouldn't start until 2014.

The Democratic health reform bills are riddled with contradictions and fiscal gimmicks

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., continues to push his party to approve health care overhaul legislation before Christmas, but concerns over many issues, including abortion funding and a possible early buy-in for the Medicare program, could cause that timetable to slip.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., continues to push his party to approve health care overhaul legislation before Christmas but concerns over many issues, including abortion funding and a possible early buy-in for the Medicare program, could cause that timetable to slip.