The Senate Finance Committee has approved an $829 billion, 10-year health care reform bill that supporters say will increase coverage and lower costs but opponents claim will cost taxpayers and not improve health care delivery.

   The vote was 14 to 9.  Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe joined 13 Democrats in supporting the plan.  Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, a member of the committee, voted no.

   The Finance bill -- drafted in large part by chairman Sen. Max Baucus -- will now be merged with a more liberal health care reform bill drafted by the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee.   The combined bill will be debated on the Senate floor before the end of the month, according to Senate leaders.

   "The time has come.  The time is right for it," said Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat.

   Republicans, though, said the bill will cost middle-class taxpayers and not do enough to reduce health care costs, while not covering as many of the uninsured as possible.