It looks like union officials, the White House and Congress have worked out a compromise on the Cadillac tax. I think these terms mostly address the concerns enumerated by progressives and union people:
o Raising the threshold at which family plans are taxed from $23,000 to $24,000 in 2013 for all working families, with annual increases of Consumer Price Index plus one. The threshold for single plans will be $8,900. (Taft Hartley plans will be considered at the family rate.)
o Raising the threshold on plans further if health care costs grow faster than expected from 2010-2013
o Exempting dental and vision costs beginning in 2015 (which could raise the threshold as much as $2000)
o Raising the threshold for plans that have significant numbers of women and/or older workers.
o Preserving the original Senate proposal to raise the threshold for plans with workers in high risk professions, affecting more than 9 million workers.
o Preserving the original Senate proposal that would raise the threshold for plans with retirees age 55 and up.
More items over at Greg Sargent's place.
For the most part, these seem to fix the middle class trap that the tax would've created -- not unlike the alternative minimum tax. Of course the downside is that it won't raise as much revenue for the deficit reduction aspect of the bill, but I'm sure they'll find a way to make up the difference. And besides, screw the deficit. This is about affordable healthcare.