IN THE STATES: Minnesota Gov. Vetoes Health Coverage Expansion Bill

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has vetoed a health care bill, saying it would expand coverage without doing anything to restrain costs or improve quality, the Star-Tribune reports.The bill had passed the state Senate with a veto-proof margin, but the vote was closer in the House.

The bill would have made more people eligible for MinnesotaCare, the state's subsidized health insurance program for the working poor. It would have covered an estimated 40,000 people.

"The state cannot afford to further expand subsidized health programs without certainty of reform that will control costs," Pawlenty wrote.

Pawlenty noted that the bill would subsidize households with incomes of up to 400 percent of federal poverty guidelines, making eligible a family of four with an income of $84,800. "This is simply too high," he wrote.

The governor said there were parts of the bill that he liked, including promotion of electronic health records, development of medical homes and payment reform for doctors.

The paper had also recently reported that the bill would have started a statewide campaign to reduce smoking and obesity, and would have offered the public data on the quality and costs of doctor and hospital services. The bill was not as far-reaching as measures recommended by advisory panels appointed by Pawlenty and the legislature.