But an important Republican lawmaker on Wednesday said bipartisan support might not materialize if the Democrats who control both houses of Congress insist on creating a public plan to compete with private insurers, as Obama wants.

"Obviously, I'm not going to be a part of any effort of the government to take over health care in America," Senator Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said on a conference call.

REPUBLICAN SUPPORT

The Finance Committee is one of five panels in the Senate and the House of Representatives that are drafting healthcare legislation, and its version is viewed as the one that has the best chance of winning Republican support.

Obama has sought to build pressure on lawmakers by mobilizing grass-roots supporters and holding several question-and-answer sessions with voters.

But the extent of public support is unclear.

A CNN poll released on Wednesday found that a bare majority, 51 percent, support his healthcare plan and most worry that it would require them to pay more.

A separate Quinnipiac University poll found that 69 percent back Obama's proposal to make a public plan available, and 49 percent would be willing to pay more for healthcare.

At Wednesday's session, Obama said he would prefer to pay for reforms by ending subsidies for private insurers and reducing tax exemptions for the nation's wealthiest rather than taxing health benefits as some Republicans have suggested.

He urged voters to be wary of "scare tactics" put forward by opponents. People will not be forced to switch to a government program, he said, and costs will not suddenly increase.

"Don't let people scare you out of reforming a system that we know is not working," Obama said.

Soaring healthcare costs undermine the competitiveness of U.S. businesses, strain state and federal budgets and drive many Americans into bankruptcy.

Virginia residents who get insurance through their employer pay an average of 24 percent of the total cost, the highest rate in the nation, according to 2006 figures from the Kaiser Family Foundation.