US President Barack Obama has cancelled forthcoming trips to Indonesia and Australia so he can stay home to oversee controversial healthcare legislation.

While it is rare for a US president to cancel an organised visit, the healthcare reform bill is foremost in the mind of the president.

The Senate has passed the bill and the House of Representatives is due to vote on legislation on Sunday.

Once the bill passes the House, it will become law once President Obama signs it.

The healthcare reforms, which have been extremely controversial, have taken months to design, with wrangling going on behind the closed doors of the Washington political system.

With a deal now designed to be acceptable to most US legislators, approximately 32 million Americans who do not have health insurance may soon receive it.

The legislation will expand insurance coverage at a cost of $940 billion over the coming ten years.

It will cut the US deficit by $138 billion over the same period through new fees and cost-cutting measures.