Doctors' group calls for 'doc fix' in fiscal cliff bill

Congress should permanently repeal Medicare's flawed payment formula as part of a year-end deal to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, the Alliance of Specialty Medicine said Monday. The Alliance said a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff should include a permanent "doc fix." Doctors will see their Medicare payments cut by nearly 30 percent at the end of this year if Congress does not act, although a permanent fix is unlikely.