Walz backs up his vote

By Fanna Haile-Selassie

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Backing quality care reform

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On Saturday, the much talked about health care reform bill passed in the House and now the Senate is preparing for debate on its own bill. The passage is driving momentum back into the health care debate. Congressman Tim Walz explained today why he voted for it.

Considering that Tim Walz represents the district which is home to Mayo Clinic, he's had plenty of opportunities to hear what Mayo officials have had to say on the topic. Both say reforming how doctors provide care to patients, trumps all other aspects of the bill.

Mayo Clinic, once again, is playing a role in the national health care reform debate. While its health care policy center won't back any one bill, it is publicizing what Mayo officials believe will help or hurt meaningful reform. Congressman Tim Walz has been listening.

"I am convinced that this piece of legislation is a huge step forward. I think it allows us to get containment on costs. I think it starts incentive the right things. It starts to cover more people, which has always been focus of Mayo Clinic, patient-centered. It's always been the focus of people in Minnesota."

With Saturday's passage of a house health care reform bill, Walz says he realizes a perfect bill will never happen, so he has to weigh on what he can compromise. He stands with Mayo Clinic that he won't compromise on quality care.

"We think at the moment, both the house and senate bills have good starting points down a path of rewarding quality instead of quantity as we do today. Would we like them to be more aggressive, yes, but we'll keep pushing that," says Mayo's health policy director Jeff Korsmo.

"There's going to be changes made, and as long as it's still good outweighs the bad, then we can do it. If it doesn't, then I won't support it," responds Walz.

Walz says quality care even trumps a public option, and he'd still vote for a bill without one. Which may become reality as a bill in the Senate chambers is getting strong opposition to keep a public option out.

Senate majority leader Harry Reid says he hopes to bring a Senate health bill to the Chamber floor sometime this month. But with a pretty even number of democrats and republicans, passage of a Senate bill could take some time.