[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17051]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         GEOGRAPHIC DISPARITIES

  (Mr. WALZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, the American people know very clearly that 
health care reform must happen, and it must happen now. They also know 
that it must transcend politics. This isn't a Republican or a 
Democratic issue. They know that crippling costs are hurting our 
families, hurting our businesses, and hurting our Nation. By the end of 
today, and the close of business in this House, 14,000 of our fellow 
citizens will lose their health care coverage.
  Reforming health care must have at its base reforming how we do 
Medicare formulas. My home district is home to the Mayo Clinic. As you 
heard my colleague speak earlier, providing high-quality care at a low 
price is the hallmark of the Mayo Clinic. But because of the way 
Medicare payments are now figured today, the Mayo Clinic and others who 
provide high-quality care at low cost are penalized. We can change the 
mix in the index by making sure Medicare physician fee formulas measure 
quality.
  I urge my colleagues, Republican and Democrats, to make this the 
hallmark. Make the Mayo model the model for this country, and we will 
get high-quality, low-cost care that will strengthen our Nation.

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