Organized medicine continues to challenge the application of the "red flags" rules to physicians. Experts still advise compliance with the new Aug. 1 deadline.

A new institute report recommends that physicians accept drug samples only if they distribute them to needy patients.

The blueprint provides physicians some exemption from deficit spending rules in the House, but the bulk of any payment changes will require budgetary offsets.

The proposal would put off changing the formula for a few years until reform demonstrations proved effective.

It took nearly 100 days to put a secretary in place, and empty slots at key HHS agencies still remain.