Healthcare reform faces many challenges

WASHINGTON, June 1 (UPI) -- U.S. healthcare reform faces many hurdles as congressional committees prepare to unveil their first sets of legislation this month, analysts say.

A strict timetable called for by President Barack Obama means there can be no detours or distractions from the effort over the summer as lawmakers strive to meet his August deadline to pass healthcare reform legislation, USA Today reported Monday.

Also to be overcome will be an ideological divide on whether a public, government-run health plan should be set up in competition with private plans, something liberal Democrats are insisting on but which is vehemently opposed by the powerful insurance lobby, analysts told the newspaper.

Congress must also come up with a way to fund the upfront costs of healthcare reform while waiting for an expected $700 billion in savings to kick in further down the road, USA Today said. Some controversial options include taxing soft drinks to imposing a national sales tax.

Politically, healthcare reform measures may face a tough road in the Senate, the newspaper said. That equation may change if Minnesotan Al Franken is seated to become the 60th Democratic senator, which would enough votes to overcome a GOP filibuster.