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| Date: | May 19, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Susan Closmore | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-5712 | | Contact Email: | susan.closmore@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SENATOR NELSON VOTES NO ON HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT |
(St.Paul) -- The Minnesota Senate passed the Health and Human Services Finance Conference Committee report (SF0760) on Wednesday following a rigorous floor debate. Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) voted against Party lines in opposition to the bill. Senator Nelson gave the following statement on her vote.
“We are facing a tremendous fiscal crisis in Minnesota and Health and Human Services takes up the largest portion of our budget, surpassing Education. No member, including myself, takes these decisions lightly. I appreciate many of the strong reforms and prioritized spending included in the Health and Human Services budget bill,” said Senator Nelson.
“However, some of the bill’s provisions affect my constituents in ways that require further clarification before I consider the bill,” continued Senator Nelson. “I cannot support a bill that compromises the Mayo Clinic’s high-quality, low cost health care model. A recent study by Dartmouth University found that with Mayo, fewer tests and procedures has meant better-quality care. As a result, Mayo's Medicare spending was in the lower 15th percentile in terms of costs. Unfortunately, the estimated impact on Rochester hospitals from this bill is approximately $60 million dollars. The Mayo Clinic is an important legacy not just for Rochester, but for all of Minnesota. I recognize merits in this bill but I have a duty to vote in the best interest of my constituents. The Mayo Clinic's motto is 'the needs of the patient come first,' similarly as I serve in the legislature, the needs of Senate District 30 come first."
