WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives late Sunday passed by a 219 to 212 vote the biggest overhaul of the nation's health care system in more than four decades, sweeping changes expected to make coverage easier and cheaper to obtain.

The largely party-line vote -- 219 Democrats voted "yea," while all 178 Republicans and 34 Democrats voted no -- meant President Barack Obama's biggest domestic initiative inched closer to the end of its year-long political and legislative odyssey.

The vote sent a bill passed on Dec. 24 by the Senate to Obama for his signature. The House, however, will consider later Sunday another bill that would make major changes, called reconciliation.

If that passes -- and approval seems virtually assured -- it would go to the Senate immediately. Should the Senate concur, probably later this week, all the health care changes would need is Obama's certain signature.

The $940 billion legislation would make the biggest health care since Medicare was created 45 years ago. Under the new plan, most consumers would be required to have coverage by 2014, and most employers would have to offer it.