Rochester, September 18, 2009 – Sen. Amy Klobuchar addressed about 150 physicians at the MMA’s Annual Meeting Friday and said she will push for the Senate to approve Medicare payment reform.

Klobuchar was in Minnesota during August listening to comments and concerns of residents about health care reform, and the themes she heard were that residents wanted reform that resulted in choice, affordability, and stability.

When she returns to Washington, she will try to amend the health plan proposed by Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Finance Committee, so that it will include a value index for determining physician and hospital fees under Medicare. The MMA supports the inclusion of a value index.

She noted that Medicare payment in Minnesota is so low that the Mayo Clinic lost $765 million during the past year caring for Medicare patients.

“We must ensure that the reform efforts do not result in any kind of across the board cuts to physicians,” she said. Instead, the goal should be to make the system more efficient and eliminate waste.

She believes that Congress will pass reform this year and that the final proposal will receive a few Republican votes.

“We simply can’t say we aren’t going to do anything,” Klobuchar said, “and I think there isn’t anyone who knows that as well as doctors.”