Senator Collins says Senate healthcare bill needs 'major overhaul'

Republican Senator Susan Collins, a moderate who has opposed the Senate's draft healthcare bill, said on Thursday the legislation needs a "major overhaul" and that it would be better to work with Democrats toward a compromise.

"From my perspective, the bill needs a lot more than tweaking or tinkering around the edges," Collins told MSNBC. "It needs a major overhaul."

Collins said she had conversations with several Democrats who are wiling to negotiate on healthcare but had been discouraged by their leadership from doing so. "But I hope after we get past this stage that we can sit down and negotiate a bill," she said.

(Reporting by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Susan Heavey)