Triumphant Barack Obama has won his bitter battle to push through historic healthcare reforms hailing the vote as "a victory for the American people".

The relieved president spoke out after politicians voted 219-212 to approve the legislation, some of the most important in America for decades.

"Today's vote answers the prayers of every American who has hoped deeply for something to be done about a healthcare system that works for insurance companies but not for ordinary people," Mr Obama said.

He called the vote "another stone firmly laid in the foundation of the American dream".

"If you have health insurance this reform just gave you more control by reining the worst excesses and abuses of the insurance industry with some of the toughest consumer protections this country has ever known," he said.

Democrats used their majority to muscle the measure through, losing 34 conservative party members who joined the united Republican opposition.

Sky News' Greg Milam said: "This is an historic night for the USA and certainly for Barack Obama who staked so much of his reputation on this piece of legislation.

"If it had not been passed there would have been serious questions about what Barack Obama could have achieved both domestically and internationally.

"That's why this could be a turning point for the president."

The overhaul will extend healthcare coverage to some 32 million Americans who don't have it already.

Republicans denounced the plan, and made frequent trips to a Capitol balcony to cheer on hundreds of protesters outside demanding they "kill the bill".

After a year of debate, Mr Obama cleared the way for his own victory with an 11th-hour deal to sign an order reaffirming a ban on government funding for abortions.

That won support for the health reform bill from a group of conservative Democratic holdouts.

The breakthrough ensured that Mr Obama's Democratic allies could get the 216 votes needed to ensure passage of the legislation.

The House voted on what Mr Obama has called "the toughest insurance reforms in history".

They come a century after president Theodore Roosevelt first called for a national approach to US health care.

Sky's White House commentator Jon-Christopher Bua said: "With a vote of 219 to 212 the Democrats passed Health Care Reform to shouts of 'Yes We Can!'.

"Despite its flaws this historic piece of health care legislation is the first step in reforming a broken system that has failed to cover over 30 million Americans.

"What is not clear is who wins with the passage of this legislation in the Mid-Term Election.

"The answer is probably president Obama.

"What is less clear is if the Democrats will maintain their majority. Otherwise the Republicans will make the most of this vote on November 2... to the Democrats' peril."

Above all the health care bill is a thinly disguised vanity project for a president who is committed to transforming the United States from the world’s most successful large-scale free enterprise economy, to a highly interventionist society with a massive role for centralized government.