The Obama administration is open to the idea of taxing the wealthiest Americans to pay for healthcare reform, health secretary Kathleen Sebelius suggested yesterday as the House of Representatives prepares to incorporate such a plan in its draft healthcare bill.

Congress is gearing up to tackle healthcare before it leaves for recess in August, although the timetable has been slipping amid wrangling over how reform should be paid for and whether it should include a public insurance option.