President Obama signals flexibility on health plan tax

President Obama told union leaders at a private White House meeting that he remained committed to taxing high-cost insurance policies as a way to drive down health costs, but he also signaled that he was willing to amend the proposal to make it work for families, the New York Times reports. The excise tax is a major point of contention as White House and Congressional negotiators seek agreement on a final version of healthcare reform. The Senate version of the bill includes such a tax on employer-sponsored health benefits; the House version does not. Union leaders deeply oppose the tax, the Times reports.