As of March 2024, over 140,000 people are enrolled in the states HUSKY A Medicaid program, which helps to provide healthcare coverage for low-income parents and caretakers of parents.

This number is expected to drop once the new income eligibility requirements go into effect in October.

The Connecticut Health Foundation estimates this will impact over 15,000 people across the state.

“It’s something that our Medicaid program needed to do to comply with the federal government standards,” said Assistant Professor and Associate Dean of Research Karl Minges from the University of New Haven’s School of Health Sciences.

As part of the state American Rescue Plan Act Budget for 2024, the income will drop from the currently requirement, which is 160% of the federal poverty level, to 138%. This means parents and caretakers will need to make even less money to qualify for the program.

“This means, that for a family of two, the income limited used to be around $32,000,” Connecticut Health Foundation President and CEO Tiffany Donelson said. “It has moved to $28,000 in order for you to be eligible.”

The Department of Social Services said many of the people who will no longer qualify for HUSKY A should qualify for a program called Covered Connecticut.

“The hope is that many of these parents and caregivers can transition to Covered Connecticut,” Donelson said. “It does provide coverage for individuals who are just above the eligibility limit for HUSKY.”

Covered Connecticut was introduced in 2021, but will only extend funding for an additional year due to ARPA funding.

“We’re going to need to have continued pressure on congressional entities at the state and federal level to continue this program,” Minges said. “Otherwise, it will expire within that one-year period.”