WASHINGTON — Conservatives hated that it's expected to swell federal deficits over the coming decade. Liberals complained that it shortchanged health programs for children and women.

But after years of complaints and failed efforts, huge majorities of both parties in Congress finally banded together and there was no stopping the “doc fix.”

The Senate gave final approval late Tuesday to the $214 billion bipartisan measure, which permanently recasts how Medicare reimburses doctors for treating over 50 million elderly people. It also provides extra money for health care programs for children and low-income people, which Democrats coveted, and imposed higher costs on some higher-income Medicare beneficiaries, which Republicans touted as a victory.

Most immediately, the bill prevented a 21 percent cut in those physicians' Medicare fees that would have hit home today when a federal agency planned to start making payments reflecting that reduction. That would have ensured a flood of complaints from doctors and senior citizens that lawmakers dearly wanted to avoid.

“This bipartisan bill will protect health coverage for millions of Americans, and I will be proud to sign it into law,” President Barack Obama said after the Senate vote.

Said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., “Instead of kicking this important Medicare payment issue down the road again, a strong bipartisan majority in Congress voted to finally solve the problem and ensure that seniors on Medicare don't lose access to their doctors.”

The Senate roll call was 92-8, with all eight “no” votes coming from Republicans. Among presidential hopefuls, Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., voted against the bill, while Rand Paul, R-Ky., supported it.

By an overwhelming 392-37, the House approved the legislation last month after the compromise was crafted by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.