HUSKY and work requirements – How to make it work
The largest cut in the new federal budget bill is Medicaid work requirements. It’s expected that 137,000 Connecticut residents will lose coverage and our state will lose $118 billion over the next ten years. If history repeats, most will lose coverage in error – they will be working or exempt
Only two states have implemented Medicaid work requirements, and it hasn’t gone well. They’ve been plagued with technical problems, mass confusion, and staff shortages. All but 5% of those who lost coverage were compliant under the law – either working or exempt – but were cut because of the complexity of the task.
Connecticut is in a better place than other states to implement work requirements, with the exception of our Call Center. DSS is working on all of it now, including the Call Center.
DSS has been very open to input. They’ve reached out to partners, stakeholders, and members for help and advice.
The CT Health Policy Project has collected the evidence and made detailed recommendations for the state including:
- Description of the requirement, the people affected, and where CT is
- Learning from other states
- Policy recommendations
- Communications
- Community partners
- Outreach
- Notices
- Verification processes
- Data reporting
- Employment support
- Assistance for members with reporting
- Verifying exemptions – caregiving, volunteering, medical frailty, education, in substance use treatment
- Proposals – Improve Call Center performance, caregiving validation reforms, create a first-level resource for people who lose coverage, employment support, education and training, registered reporters to assist members with reporting, enhanced assistance for people with disabilities, prepare for rising uninsured/uncompensated care
As HUSKY prepares for this crisis, we’ll be updating our recommendations.