Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has until the end of the week to make vetoes to line items in the state budget approved by the legislature on July 1st.
Health- care advocates are urging the governor to veto a provision in the budget that eliminates fines for large employers who do not provide health insurance to their workers. A one year delay in implementing federal fines by the Obama administration has the advocates concerned, but Governor Patrick does not believe it will impact the availability of health insurance in Massachusetts.
State officials have been looking to eliminate overlaps between the 2006 Massachusetts health reform law and the federal Affordable Care Act.
