Hong-Sheng Zhao of Leiden University in the Netherlands calculates that a close encounter with another one of the Milky Way's satellites, the Large Magellanic Cloud, could have knocked Sgr into a closer orbit two or three billion years ago.

ECONOMIST: The galactic gourmand

Further, the SGR issue is about to become a thing of the past as Congress moves toward reaching a permanent solution to the problem created by an outdated formula that puts physicians in a position of taking major pay cuts from Medicare each year.

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To maintain physician participation in the program, Congress has made a habit of ignoring the SGR.

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Yet Dr Irwin, whose search for trails of stars from swallowed galaxies was broader, has found a clear one only from Sgr.

ECONOMIST: The galactic gourmand

The alternative view, for those who like their galaxies light and fluffy, is that Sgr once orbited the Milky Way at a safer distance.

ECONOMIST: The galactic gourmand

That will still leave a larger question: how common is Sgr's fate?

ECONOMIST: The galactic gourmand

The physician community had hoped that a deal would have brought resolution to the Medicare payment reductions doctors face each and every year as a result of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.

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The reductions are the result of the now infamous sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula that, if not delayed once again, will result in physicians taking a 27 percent cut in the reimbursement rate they receive from Medicare.

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