A proposed House bill would permanently repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, preventing a 30 percent Medicare pay cut in 2013, and would phase out fee-for-service payments. The Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act of 2012, proposed by Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) and Rep. Joe Heck, (R-Nev.), would use savings from the military pull-out from Iraq and Afghanistan to cover all costs, reported Medscape Medical News. According to the bill summary, payment rates would stay at 2012 levels for one year; then from 2014 to 2017, primary care, preventive and care-coordination services would get a 2.5 percent annual increase, while reimbursement for other services would rise 0.5 percent. – read the full article from FierceHealthFinance