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Michelle Shankar: We must urge legislators to expand HUSKY to all children

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Michelle Shankar: We must urge legislators to expand HUSKY to all children


Recently a 14-year-old girl came to my pediatric clinic with her mother. After rooming the patient and taking her vital signs, my medical assistant rushed over to me with an unsettled look on her face. “This patient came to this country two years ago, but this is her first time seeing a primary care doctor.”

My heart sank. A child has been living in our community for two years without a pediatrician?

When I asked what brought them to our clinic, her mother replied, “I just want to know that there is a place we can come to in case my daughter gets hurt or sick.”

“We are so glad to have you here,” I explained. “And while it is absolutely my job to take care of your daughter when she is unwell, it is also very important for me to see her regularly when she is healthy.”

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As a primary care pediatrician in Connecticut, I care for children from birth until they transition to adulthood. I follow guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics to provide routine preventive care, including vaccinations, screening and counseling to identify and address physical, mental and social needs. This is particularly important during adolescence, a critical window for physical, cognitive and social development that lasts up to the early 20s.

Her mother explained that because they do not have immigration papers, they have not been eligible to obtain health insurance. She knew that her daughter needed to establish care with a primary care provider, even if that meant paying out-of-pocket to do so.

If my patient were two years younger, this would not be a problem. Since Jan. 1, 2023, children up to age 12 have been eligible to enroll for Connecticut state Medicaid, or HUSKY, regardless of their immigration status.

But childhood does not end at age 12.

This year, a bill was introduced to expand HUSKY enrollment to all income-eligible children and adolescents up to age 26. As of today, the state legislature has allocated only enough to expand enrollment only to age 15. This will not be enough.

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Because childhood does not end at age 15, either.

We must urge our legislators to expand HUSKY to all children, adolescents, and young adults through age 26. According to the Department of Social Services, this should cost only 1 percent of the annual state Medicaid budget. It will provide access to primary health care, which in turn will save millions of dollars by preventing expensive complications of untreated health needs.

Opponents of this bill worry that this will drain taxpayer dollars from documented residents who do not support this measure. However, it is important to know that undocumented immigrant families are taxpayers and make significant contributions to Connecticut’s economy. In fact, they pay over $120 million in annual state and local tax contributions in Connecticut. And a clear majority of Connecticut voters do support this bill.

Time is of the essence. The Connecticut state legislature will be voting on a biennial budget, deciding how much funding to allocate to healthcare for our children. I implore everyone to reach out to their state representatives to support this bill. Because no family in the state of Connecticut should wonder whether they will be able to obtain health care for their child. I hope to see my 14-year-old patient grow and develop into a healthy adult. With this legislation, I hope there will be fewer barriers standing in her way.

Michelle Shankar is a general pediatrician.

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Connecticut

Smoke from MA fire noticed from Southington to New Haven

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Smoke from MA fire noticed from Southington to New Haven


GREAT BARRINGTON, MA (WFSB) – Smoke from a large fire in Massachusetts wafted into Connecticut.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said on Tuesday morning that smoke from the fire in Great Barrington traveled south into the state.

“Many residents from Southington to New Haven and beyond may be noticing a strong smell of smoke and haze [Tuesday] morning,” DEEP said.

DEEP said that Tuesday’s weather conditions caused smoke to spread widely and stay close to the ground. That’s what made it more noticeable.

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“Local officials are monitoring the situation,” it said. “If you’re sensitive to smoke, consider staying indoors and keeping windows closed until conditions improve.”

More on the forecast can be read in the technical discussion from Channel 3’s meteorologists here.



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Connecticut

Serious crash in downtown Stamford causes road closure

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Serious crash in downtown Stamford causes road closure


A serious car crash closed a busy road in downtown Stamford on Monday night.

The police department said Washington Boulevard is closed at the intersection with Bridge Street because of a serious crash.

Drivers are being asked to stay away from the area.

No additional information was immediately available.

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Immigration advocates vow to fight Trump deportation plans

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Immigration advocates vow to fight Trump deportation plans


Immigration advocates say they’ve already been preparing for President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to ramp up deportations once he returns to the White House.

“We anticipate that they’re going to be very quick, very rapid, very massive efforts to grab as many people as possible and deport them,” National Immigration Law Center President Kica Matos said during a rally outside the Capitol on Monday.

Matos said hers and other organizations began considering possible actions earlier this year in case Trump won.

Now, Trump is promising to deliver on his campaign pledge, taking to his Truth Social platform earlier in the morning to confirm he plans to declare a national emergency.

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He also intends to try and use the military to support his deportation effort, his post confirmed.

Advocates said they’re trying to assume undocumented immigrants in Connecticut that their organizations will offer support.

“If families have to be separated, it defeats the point completely because people are trying to get to the United States to be with their families,” said Tabitha Sookdeo, executive director of CT Students For a Dream.

Sookdeo said her family came from Guyana when she was a teenager and her grandmother, who was a U.S. citizen, was trying to help them also get permanent legal status.

Her grandmother died during the process, though, leaving Sookdeo’s family in limbo.

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“Immigration is pretty complicated,” she said.

Democrats, meanwhile, said they won’t support federal deportation efforts.

Attorney General William Tong (D) pointed to the state’s Trust Act, which bars local and state agencies from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

“Connecticut is going to care for our immigrant families and immigrant neighbors and friends,” Tong said.

There are some exceptions, including when an undocumented immigrant is convicted of a Class A or Class B felony. Tong wouldn’t say if that means Connecticut has to notify federal authorities of such a conviction.

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“I’m not going to issue a legal opinion on the fly from this podium,” Tong said.

Connecticut Republicans were critical of Democrats, though, saying their policies don’t reflect what voters want.

Rep. Vincent Candelora (R-Minority Leader) said Connecticut spends too much money supporting undocumented immigrants, including with Medicaid, education and other assistance.

He also said voters are worried about public safety.

“It’s really out of step, I think, with what the residents and America wants, and that is, you know, safe borders, public safety and we have to get the cost of immigration under control,” Candelora said.

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