For advocacy groups like the AMA, it's "mission accomplished" for another year. Though a final vote has not yet taken place, Congress appears to have agreed in principle upon a bill that will eliminate a scheduled Medicare cutback that would slice an average of 5 percent from physician payments. The agreement, which is part of a larger tax bill, also kicks off a 1.5 percent incentive payment plan for doctors who agree to report quality data to CMS. Canceling the 5 percent cut is expected to cost the administration about $10 billion per year. The bill also proposes to create a $1.35 billion fund to stabilize the Medicare program physician payment system and support doctor quality initiatives.

For more information on the agreement:
- read this Modern Healthcare article [1] (sub. req.)
- get the broader political picture [2] from the Washington Post

Related Articles:
Medicare plans physician service fee cuts. Report [3]
A different perspective on Medicare cuts. Report [4]
CMS to phase in cost-weighting payments over three years. Report [5]