Updated again: HUSKY and work requirements – Incorporating the new federal rule
Updated June 30, 2026 to include states’ lawsuit
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To incorporate new federal regulations, we’ve again updated our paper with recommendations for implementing federal changes and cuts to Connecticut’s Medicaid program that become effective January 1st of next year. This version includes new details from the federal work requirement rule published earlier this month that includes a troubling surprise.
It’s estimated that 110,000 members will lose Medicaid coverage and likely become uninsured due to work requirements. In other states, the vast majority of people who lost coverage, shouldn’t have. They were either working or exempt but couldn’t document their compliance due to red tape.
DSS is working diligently to ensure every HUSKY member who is eligible stays on the program. They have a dedicated website and a pre-screener for members who want to know if the work requirement applies to them and how they can keep their coverage. They are setting up assistance centers and events in communities across the state.
The new rules included a surprise. To qualify as medically frail, members not only have to have a serious illness, but also need to prove that because of their condition they cannot work, volunteer, or attend school. This controversial addition does not reflect either the language of the HR-1 law Congress passed or early guidance to states from federal regulators. Proving if someone can or can’t work will be very difficult to document. DSS has identified 206,000 members from medical claims data that could qualify as medically frail.
Thankfully, until January 1st of 2028 members can self-attest that they cannot work.
In good news, Connecticut is in a better place than other states to implement HR-1. Our Medicaid program is a national leader in quality, access to care, and cost control. DSS has also been a national leader in similar circumstances including the unwinding of coverage after COVID.