UPDATES:
20% co-pay overturned!!

Laboratory Fee (Baucus Bill)- switched to a 1.75% reduction in the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule for 2011-2015
Rational:
~ The lab tax was going to be in the range of 2.5%-- and could be higher in some cases-- on ALL lab revenue including Medicare (CLFS and Physician fee schedule) and non-Medicare revenue. EVERYTHING.
And no deduction for other taxes.
~ The lab tax would have started in 2010 and is PERMANENT and would be impossible to reduce or repeal.
~ the tax would have been assessed against virtually ALL independent and hospital laboratories, and any physician office labs that do more than $500,000 a year in revenue.
~All hospitals' outpatient and outreach revenue would have been taxed.

ASCLS-GAC now publishing a news letter to keep everyone up to date on current events.