WRAPUP 2-U.S. Senate healthcare bill draws skeptics, opponents

(For full coverage of U.S. healthcare reform, click [nN20512341])

* Reid still short of 60 votes on government-run option

* Many centrist Democrats remain uncommitted on issue

* Lieberman opposes option but will not block debate

(Adds NBC/Wall Street Journal poll)

By Donna Smith and John Whitesides

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - A healthcare reform bill with a government-run insurance option faced an uncertain future in the Senate on Tuesday, with many centrist Democrats uncommitted and Senator Joe Lieberman strongly opposed.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's decision to include a government-run "public" option in the Senate bill failed to sway about a dozen moderates who said they wanted more details before making their decisions.

Democrats said Reid was still short of the 60 votes needed to overcome procedural hurdles and pass a bill with a public option, which has become one of the most contentious issues in the debate on President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

The healthcare bills in the Senate and the House of Representatives aim to rein in costs, expand coverage to millions of uninsured and bar insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions or dropping coverage for the sick.

Health insurer stocks rallied on skepticism that a government-run plan, seen as detrimental to the industry, would win passage. That view was fueled by Lieberman's comments.

Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said he would not join Republicans on a procedural vote to block the healthcare bill from coming up for debate, but would be willing to block a final vote on the plan if it remained unchanged.

"I don't support a government-operated health insurance company that will end up costing the taxpayers a lot of money," he told reporters.

SOME DEMOCRATS STILL ON THE FENCE

Senator Olympia Snowe, the only Republican to support a healthcare bill in a congressional committee, opposes the public option and said she would vote with her fellow Republicans to block a motion to proceed to debate.

"Once you put in a motion to proceed, then it's very difficult to change it," she told reporters.