"[On December 6, the CBO] released an updated score for replacing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. The score reduces the cost of doing away with the SGR by over $20 billion, revising it from $139.1 billion to $116.5 billion. This latest decrease adds to the growing possibility of passing a permanent SGR replacement bill as early as Q1 2014.... On November 27th, CMS published the Medicare Physician Payment Rule. The rule significantly scales back cuts outlined in the proposed version to independent labs that would have decreased reimbursement by 26 percent."  MORE >>