Connecticut
CT DACA recipients can soon get health coverage on the exchange
Beginning Nov. 1, Connecticut participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, commonly known as DACA, can for the first time enroll in health coverage through Access Health CT.
The change follows a federal policy finalized in May expanding the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, eligibility to DACA recipients.
The ACA allows U.S. citizens and lawfully present noncitizens to obtain health coverage and subsidies through state-based marketplaces, like Access Health CT. But, prior to the new regulations, DACA recipients weren’t considered “lawfully present” as it pertains to the ACA.
“This really fixes that exclusion that happened when DACA was created back in 2012,” said Carolina Bortolleto, a co-founder of CT Students for a Dream, a statewide organization advocating for undocumented students and their families. “It shows that expanding coverage is something our government officials know is a good thing to do.”
With the updated regulation, DACA recipients will now be able to enroll in coverage through state-based marketplaces, like Access Health CT. They can also obtain subsidies to help cover the cost of a plan if they qualify based on their income, address, and household size.
People can enroll online, in person, or by phone. Residents can also visit one of Access Health CT’s Navigator partner locations to get help from an enrollment specialist.
The Biden administration estimates that more than a third of DACA recipients currently do not have health insurance and that the new rule could help 100,000 people across the country obtain coverage.
There are roughly 2,900 DACA recipients in Connecticut as of March 2024, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Bortolleto said most DACA recipients that have health coverage get it through their employers. Some also qualify for Medicaid, known as HUSKY in Connecticut.
But the expansion could still face legal challenges.
A lawsuit filed by Kansas and 18 other states seeks to block the new rule. But no decision has been made yet, meaning DACA recipients are still eligible for marketplace plans and subsidies when open enrollment starts on Nov. 1.
‘HUSKY for immigrants’
Bortolleto said that the new federal regulation could also help bolster the ongoing push to broaden health coverage to undocumented residents in the state.
“It’s particularly significant because here in Connecticut we are fighting to expand access to HUSKY Medicaid to the undocumented population,” Bortolleto said. “It also highlights that there’s still a gap that will be left behind, even after DACA recipients are able to access the ACA.”
In Connecticut, children 15 and under, as well as people who are pregnant and postpartum, qualify for health coverage from the state regardless of immigration status.
But the effort to extend Medicaid-like coverage to children without permanent legal status has been a gradual and sometimes frustrating journey for many advocates. In 2021, legislators passed a bill opening the program to undocumented kids 8 and younger but delayed the launch until Jan. 1, 2023. In 2022, they broadened the population to include those 12 and younger.
Last year, a measure was introduced expanding it to everyone 25 and younger. But legislators settled on a pared back version, folded into the state budget, that extends coverage to kids 15 and younger regardless of their immigration status, which went into effect in July of this year.
The program has seen strong demand. As of April of this year, over 11,000 children 12 and under who wouldn’t have otherwise qualified for Medicaid because of their immigration status were enrolled in state-sponsored Medicaid-like coverage, smashing estimates that roughly 4,250 kids would enroll.
Connecticut
CT early voting turnout: How many people in your city have voted?
With less than a week until Election Day and 10 days into early voting, hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents have already cast their ballots.
For the first time, Connecticut residents can vote early. Early voting started on Oct. 21, and as of Tuesday night, more than 430,000 ballots have been cast, according to the Secretary of the State’s office. West Hartford has the most people voting early with 10,207 ballots cast, followed by Norwalk with 9,690 and Stamford with 9,511. Fairfield and Milford also have strong participation in early voting, with 9,453 and 8,766 votes.
Most early voters are registered Democrats, with 112 towns showing Democratic majorities among early voters. In comparison, 57 towns have the most early voters as unaffiliated, and 14 towns lean Republican.
Voter registration in Connecticut is concentrated in the state’s biggest cities. Stamford leads with 76,418 registered voters, followed by Bridgeport with 71,382 and Hartford with 64,244. Norwalk and New Haven complete the top five, with 58,085 and 57,551 registered voters, respectively.
Certain towns stand out for their high turnout relative to registered voters. Sharon leads with 37.8% of registered voters casting ballots early, followed by Salisbury at 37.1% and Woodbury at 34.9%. Madison, Clinton and several others show over 30% early voting participation.
Other cities show low early voting turnout relative to their registered voters. Hartford leads in low participation, with only 5.8% of registered voters casting ballots early. Waterbury follows with 6.9%, and New Haven with 7.9%. Bridgeport and New Britain have 8% and 10.1% early voting rates, respectively.
Check the Connecticut Voter Guide 2024 for more information on the elections.
Connecticut
Chancellor of Connecticut State college system being investigated for lavish spending
In an era of budget cuts and restructuring, college administrators in Connecticut claim to be doing everything they can to help keep schools afloat. State leaders announced they will be initiating an audit of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system and its chancellor, Terrence Cheng, after reports of controversial spending decisions he is said to have made. Before Cheng took the post with the CSCU, he was the campus director of UConn Stamford, a position he held from 2016 through 2021.
“The tone-deaf champagne tastes of Chancellor Cheng are not a good look for the chancellor or for the CSCU system,” state senator Stephen Harding said to the press.
Cheng oversees the CSCU system, which comprises the four state universities (Eastern, Southern, Western, and Central), Charter Oak State College Online, and the 12 community and technical colleges, which are in the midst of consolidation. Although CSCU is a separate body from the University of Connecticut, certain decisions in procurement, interoperability agreements and finances are shared between that system and UConn.
Using documents and information obtained from a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request, reporters at the Stamford Advocate published a detail on Cheng’s purchases – including hundreds of dollars in meals and chauffeur services from his home in Westchester, N.Y. As part of his contract with the state, Cheng was provided a state vehicle and a $71,000 stipend with the expectation he would move to Connecticut. He’s also provided $25,000 annually for “housing and entertainment expenses.”
So far, he’s been renting an apartment in Hartford – but he doesn’t use it all the time. The report says that a recent interview indicates that he still uses his New York residence as his primary address.
“I believe myself and others feel he should be here in the state of Connecticut,” said Richard Balducci, a member of the Board of Regents, the group that oversees CSCU and works with the state, in the Stamford Advocate report. At UConn, the Board of Trustees would be the equivalent body.
Governor Ned Lamont announced on Oct. 25 that the state comptroller’s office would initiate an independent audit on CSCU’s financial management and hopes a comprehensive review can be furnished. His announcement said the main purpose of the inquiry would be to “assess whether public funds have been managed in accordance with state financial policies and in alignment with the educational mission of the CSCU system,” with itemized purchases and review of meals and vehicle usage part of the request.
Earlier this year, Cheng was lambasted by the leadership of Eastern State Connecticut University through a vote of no confidence. According to the ESCU senate’s statement as reported on by the CT Mirror, they believe the CSCU system has been mismanaged under Cheng’s direction.
Adam Joseph, vice chancellor for external affairs at CSCU, said at the time to the CT Mirror that “administrators recognize the uncertainty faculty at all levels are feeling.”
The merger of the state’s community colleges into one institution, originally devised as a way for CSCU to save money during former system president Mark Ojakian’s tenure, was handed off to Cheng and resulted in over 100 layoffs and various internal changes at the 12 campuses, according to reporting by the Norwalk Hour and Connecticut Post.
Any information contained in the state comptroller’s investigation into CSCU will be made public. No changes to Cheng’s position or current allowances are planned, but he said in a statement to the Stamford Advocate that he is looking to improve.
“This is one of those moments, right, where you learn as you’re doing your job,” Cheng said.
Connecticut
Connecticut towns to get fire suppressors for absentee ballot boxes
The state of Connecticut is protecting its ballot boxes against fire after incidents in other parts of the country.
Connecticut towns will get fire suppressor devices that are designed to be installed inside absentee ballot drop boxes. The devices will offer an additional layer of protection, according to the Secretary of the State.
“Safeguarding our elections is a top priority. By staying ahead of potential threats, we can take a strong stand, ensuring a safe and secure process for all. Every voter should have confidence in casting their ballot no matter if it’s in person or at a drop box,” Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas said in a statement.
The state is adding these devices because of incidents like in Washington state and Oregon.
Devices with the words “Free Gaza” set boxes on fire, damaging many ballots. Authorities are still looking for the person responsible.
Connecticut officials said there is no threat here, but they encourage anyone who sees something suspicious to call the State Elections Enforcement Commission at 866-733-2463.
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