HEALTH UPDATES ON TWITTER HEALTH UPDATES ON TWITTER WASHINGTON  President Obama said Wednesday that the Senate compromise on the divisive issue of government-run health insurance "could pave the way for final passage" of the bill to revamp the nation's health care system. The president discussed plans to spend government stimulus funds to renovate community health centers around the nation. The remarks came one day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced Senate Democrats had reached a tentative deal to replace the so-called public option with a package of alternatives — including allowing people under 65 to buy into Medicare, the federal program for senior citizens. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., a centrist who is one of 10 Democrats privately negotiating alternatives to the public option, said the group proposed that the plan include expanding CHIP, a state-run children's insurance program, and community health centers, which offer subsidized care in poorer communities. Asked whether the agreement includes a government-run insurance program that could be triggered if certain conditions are met, Landrieu said, "There would be some additional options available to states." Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., another centrist Democrat who had been in those talks, indicated that the group needs more information before reaching an agreement. There was "consensus that we needed more information in order to move forward" and the group has sent a range of ideas to the Congressional Budget Office for analysis, Lincoln said. Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who has been widely courted in deliberations over the legislation, said in a statement Wednesday that he was "encouraged by the progress toward a consensus" but expressed concern about expanding Medicare — which he described as being in "perilous financial condition." "I look forward to analyzing the details of the plan and reviewing analysis from the Congressional Budget Office," Lieberman said. DEMOCRATS: Inching forward on bill's public option HIDDEN NUGGETS: Supporters add provisions to health bills VIDEO: End in sight for health care bill passage This week, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., leader of a group of Democratic senators privately discussing the public option, and other Democrats said lawmakers were considering a package of ideas. In addition to the so-called Medicare buy-in, the compromise would increase the number of people eligible for Medicaid. Lawmakers have been discussing letting private insurance companies sell national health policies that would be regulated by the Office of Personnel Management, the agency that oversees health plans offered to federal workers — including members of Congress. Former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, a physician, said Wednesday that a potential proposal allowing for a Medicare option for Americans under 65 was a "positive step forward." In recent weeks, Dean, a former Vermont governor, approached Reid and Schumer to propose the Medicare plan. "Using Medicare makes more sense than reinventing more bureaucracy," Dean said Wednesday on CBS' The Early Show. Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., a strong supporter of the public insurance option, released a statement calling a potential Medicare expansion "one idea I like a lot." The developments could mean a beginning of the end of the long-standing debate within the Democratic caucus over whether the government should create the public option President Obama had said would drive down prices by offering competition. Shortly after Reid's Tuesday night announcement, one Democrat said he is concerned about the new approach. "While I appreciate the willingness of all parties to engage in good-faith discussions, I do not support proposals that would replace the public option in the bill with a purely private approach," said Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis. Feingold is a member of the group of 10 senators charged to come up with a health care deal. The House approved a bill last month that includes a public option. Contributing: The Associated Press ; Melanie Eversley in McLean, Va. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more