Tim Walz: “Last week I had the opportunity to welcome Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to my district and to…”

“Last week I had the opportunity to welcome Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to my district and to the city of Rochester, Minnesota, home to the Mayo Clinic, to talk about the positive influence that the health care reform bill will have on Medicare reform, paying for value over volume and continuing to provide the highest quality care to our citizens at the lowest possible cost. I also went over with my friend Ron Kind into La Crosse, Wisconsin, to talk to seniors. We heard a lot about the Medicare part D doughnut hole. As my colleague from Pennsylvania said, this week $250 rebate checks will be going to them to allow those seniors who have worked their entire life to build this Nation and to prepare for a prosperous and comfortable retirement to be able to pay for that expensive doughnut hole as it was crafted under the previous law. There are 63,000 Minnesotans who will see that 3 weeks in advance. This is just one of the many benefits that will come to them. It's absolutely critical our seniors in this country hear the facts, the real facts about health care reform, how it will end up bringing higher quality of care and lower costs paying down the national debt. I am proud that the Secretary could see that at the world-famous Mayo Clinic.”