WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives narrowly endorsed late on Saturday (US time) the biggest healthcare overhaul in decades, giving President Barack Obama a crucial victory in a battle that now moves to the Senate.

By a 220-215 vote, including the support of one Republican, the House backed a bill that would expand coverage to nearly all Americans and bar insurance practices such as refusing to cover people with pre-existing conditions.

But in the Senate, work on a healthcare bill - Obama's top domestic priority - has stalled for weeks as Democratic leader Harry Reid searches for an approach that can win the 60 votes he needs.