parsa khan's List: REV Media Mashup: HealthCompare 1.15.2010

The fight over whether states or the federal government will have more clout in a proposed health insurance marketplace is escalating — and the outcome has big implications for consumers.

Facing intense pressure from organized labor, the Obama administration has agreed to major changes in the proposed tax on high-priced employer-sponsored health benefits.

More fees may be coming for drug and device makers, the WSJ reports. Dems may add $10 billion in fees for device makers over 10 years, on top of the roughly $20 billion already included in the House and Senate bills.

The White House has reached a tentative agreement with labor leaders to tax high-cost health insurance policies, sources said Thursday.

Democrats envisioned a smooth passing of the baton in the January 19 special election to fill the seat of the late Edward Kennedy, a political giant who died of brain cancer in August after holding the seat for 46 years.