Giving an independent board such as the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) the power to set prices would yield $2 billion in savings over 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports. Two-billion dollars is a lot of money, but it's not when considering CMS spends $2 billion in a matter of days.

The Washington-based Politico reports health reform negotiations with moderate and conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives broke down Friday afternoon. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calf.), who supports the current House reform bill, says he may bypass his own committee and let the legislation go before the full House.

Voting in the latest Part B News poll question has been pretty steady for the last couple days, showing a majority of you and your peers support CMS's plans to put an end to consultation billing. Yes, these polls are unscientific, but 38 out of 70 people (so far) say "get rid of the consults."

What may have seemed like just another health reform proposal a couple months ago could soon become reality. Federal lawmakers are now having serious discussions about allowing an independent board, such as the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), set Medicare payment rates to help keep program costs in check, according to published reports.

Congressional committees have moved health care reform bills forward while keeping in mind a looming deadline of finalizing health system reform by its annual August recess. On Monday, with a deadline just weeks away, President Barack Obama slightly backed away from urgent calls of reform "cannot wait" and asking Democratic and Republican lawmakers to "seize this opportunity."