By ERICA WERNER and RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR,– 14 mins ago
WASHINGTON – The White House has reached a tentative agreement with union leaders to tax high-cost medical plans, one of the final obstacles in the way of President Barack Obama's health care remake, officials said Thursday.

Details of the agreement were not immediately available. The tentative deal was expected to be presented to congressional leaders Thursday as negotiators try to wrap up an agreement on core elements of the sweeping legislation as early as Friday.

The proposed tax has been a major sticking point because early versions from the Senate would have hit union members, who have negotiated generous health benefits, sacrificing higher wages. House Democrats were strongly opposed, and did not include the tax in their bill. But Obama favored the tax, citing the consensus opinion of economists that it would help hold down costs by nudging workers into less pricey coverage.

Union and Democratic officials spoke about the tentative deal on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.