In a 14-9 vote Oct. 13, the Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of the America’s Healthy Future Act which puts the addendum one step closer to the Senate floor.

Democratic Sen. Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, commented on the results of the vote. “The bill we passed today puts patients and doctors and not insurance companies in the driver’s seat,” said Baucus. “It includes strong provisions to end insurance company practices that discriminate against those who are sick or have pre-existing conditions.”

Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, crossed party lines and cast the only Republican vote in favor of the bill.

In a Washington press conference, Senator Snowe stated “My vote today is my vote today. It doesn’t forecast what it will be tomorrow.”

The next step for the bill, which is being put forth as an effort to reach a bipartisan solution to health care reform, is to merge the Finance Committee’s bill with measures passed by other Senate committees which would then form the completed bill.