WASHINGTON - While Democratic U.S. Reps. Melissa Bean and Bill Foster ended up siding with their party in passing a health-care reform bill in the House, both say the legislation has provisions they don't support.

The two Democrats who align themselves with moderate coalitions in the party have been among the most uncertain in their caucus about supporting the more expansive elements of health care reform, such as the public insurance option.

Bean, of Barrington, and Foster, of Batavia, represent potential swing districts, respectively the 8th and the 14th, and have faced protests from activists on both sides of the debate for months.

Foster gave his support to the legislation because it includes "many of the principles that I believe to be critical in improving how Americans receive health insurance," he said in a statement after the vote.

But he said he had concern about certain aspects of the plan, which he said was less than perfect. Foster remains particularly perplexed about the design of the public option.

Moderate House Democrats' call for a public option that would fairly compete with the private sector led House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to step back from a "robust" public option, which would have based reimbursement rates under the public program on Medicare rates.

The bill approved Saturday opts for negotiating reimbursement rates under the public plan with health providers, as is the case under private plans. But it is not enough to clear Foster's concern.

He is concerned about the current language because it allows the public option to borrow money at a lower interest rate than private companies for startup costs.

As a member of the New Democrat Coalition, which bills itself as a pro-business faction in the Democratic caucus, Foster also expressed concerns over small businesses' treatment under the legislation.

One of his main concerns deals with the way the penalty on employers who do not provide health insurance to employees is phased in, said Foster spokeswoman Shannon O'Brien. She said Foster believes it offers businesses an incentive to decrease employee salaries in certain situations.

But Bean, vice-chairwoman of the same group of moderate Democrats, seemed pleased with provisions included in the bill regarding that matter. She said the legislation provides two years of tax incentives, for up to 50 percent of costs, for up to 16,700 small businesses in the 8th District to help them transition to, or continue providing, health benefits to their employees.

She also said the legislation establishes grant programs of up to $50,000 over three years to small businesses that provide incentives for healthy behaviors among employees. It also allows scores of small businesses in her district to access the National Exchange for more affordable insurance options, she noted.

Bean's main concern seems to be about implementing health insurance reform "in a fiscally sustainable way."

"While these reforms are deficit neutral, I'm seeking improved cost containment measures in the final version of the bill before I can support it," Bean said.

Another suburban lawmaker, Evanston Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who has long backed government health coverage extension and voted for the bill Saturday, expressed strong opposition to a restriction on abortion coverage added to the bill.

The provision, which Schakowsky, Bean and Foster opposed, would block any insurer that accepts federal subsidies for coverage from paying for abortion services.

Schakowsky fears the provision would restrict a woman's ability to obtain an abortion and force many women to pay more for their insurance, or lose it.

"This amendment is a radical departure from current law and will result in millions of women losing coverage they already have," she said.

On Tuesday, Schakowsky said she is committed to vote against any final legislation that would include the provision.

"If left as is the health care reform bill would be the largest repeal of anti-choice law in nearly four decades," she said, adding she "cannot and will not support health care reforms that blatantly discriminates against women."