Impact of Reducing Eligibility for HUSKY Parents from 155% of FPL to 138% of FPL

Abstract

A Connecticut budget proposal for 2017-2018 would rollback Medicaid eligibility from 155 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 138 percent FPL – the national Affordable Care Act minimum level. An analysis found that the change in eligibility would impact 9,500 parents, who would lose their coverage through HUSKY, Connecticut's Medicaid program, and have to purchase federally subsidized insurance through the Connecticut insurance marketplace called Access Health CT. The average increase in expenses would be over $1,200 dollars per year, or about $100 per month. If past experience were to hold for the parents affected by the proposed reduction to 138 percent FPL, then about 1,500 of the 9,500 would enroll in AHCT coverage, and about 3,700 would retain HUSKY eligibility. The remaining 4,300 would likely go uninsured.