WASHINGTON – Congressional negotiators now have to “thread the needle” in conference committee to hem the differences between Senate and House versions of a Medicare bill before it can be sent to the president’s desk, Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said Friday.

“This bill maintains the integrity of Medicare’s traditional ‘fee for service’ program, while still giving seniors the choice of opting for plans provided by private insurers that may better suit their individual needs,” Snowe said of the Senate’s bill. She added that this goal would be vital as the differences are worked out.

“We must preserve these basic principles as we negotiate the Senate and House-passed bills,” she said.

The Senate version passed 76 to 21 late last night with wide bipartisan support. It was a different story in the House where a 216-215 squeaker at 2:30 a.m. found only nine Democrats crossing party lines.

Tom Allen, D-Maine, said he voted against the bill because it capitulates to the pharmaceutical industry and will end up costing consumers in the end. Rep. Michael Michaud, D-Maine, also voted against the House bill.

“Under the guise of providing seniors a prescription drug benefit, House Republicans have instead created a program that would funnel taxpayer money to insurance companies and keep pharmaceutical prices high,” he said. “This is the ideological agenda of House Republicans – to dismantle the Medicare program America’s seniors have relied on for nearly 40 years.”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, supported the Senate version which contains two provisions she co-sponsored to reduce the costs of prescription drugs, including one allowing the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada.

“We are not at the finish line yet,” she cautioned, “but this bill is an important milestone in our efforts to create a permanent Medicare prescription drug benefit.”

Snowe, one of the bill’s four co-sponsors, said, “I hope the final legislation remains focused on our principles to empower seniors to take back their lives, their health and their pocketbooks.”