Missouri governor vetoes $500K bill for HIT

Time is running out for Missouri lawmakers as the efforts to reform ethics laws, change the state’s municipal court system and override Gov. Jay Nixon’s vetoes of parts of the budget remain unresolved.

The governor has vetoed a $500,000 bill that would’ve gone to a health information exchange program, contending that the language would have favored one vendor over another.

“We will continue to analyze the legal ramifications of this language and work to ensure that we continue to provide access to essential health services,” Nixon said at a news conference.

The governor did approve state and federal funding for the Missouri Department of Mental Health by more than $200 million, which will keep the waiting list for in-home services for low-income Missourians for developmental disabilities at zero, provide a rate increase for mental healthcare providers and expand access to treatment for Missourians with severe mental illness.