US President Barack Obama has signed his reforming healthcare bill into law at a ceremony held at the White House, in Washington.

The law will eventually extend health insurance to some 32 M Americans who currently have no cover, or about 95% of eligible Americans, compared with the 83% covered at present.

The bill has been contentious ever since Obama declared it would be his most significant domestic policy issue. The bill has been strongly opposed by the US Republican party, who claim it is too costly.

Obama said that he was signing the bill for people such as his own mother, "who argued with insurance companies even as she battled cancer in her final days".

He stated that the bill's provisions were "desperately needed", adding: "The bill I'm signing will set in motion reforms that generations of Americans have fought for and marched for and hungered to see".

He praised the "historic leadership and uncommon courage" of the Democratic leadership in Congress that secured the bill's passage, singling out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for particular praise.

Obama will visit the state of Iowa on Thursday to discuss how the new law will help to lower healthcare costs for small businesses and families.

This will mark the beginning of the US President's nationwide campaign to sell the reforms to a divided American public before mid-term elections in November.

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