The Department of Social Services, Access Health CT and community partners are gearing up for the rollback in income eligibility for parents and caretaker relatives currently on HUSKY A.  Parents with family income above 155% of the federal poverty level (e.g., $31,140 for a family of three) will be notified soon that the income limit for parent coverage has been reduced. The reduction in the eligibility level from 201% FPL to 155% FPL was included in the final state budget that passed at the end of June.

Most of the affected individuals (about 22,000) will be notified that effective August 1st they will remain on HUSKY coverage but under a different category called "transitional medical assistance". These are parents in families with income from a job. Once they are moved to TMA they remain eligible for HUSKY for a full year. 

A much smaller number of parents (about 1,500) will receive a notice in August that their coverage may change effective September 1, 2015, because their income is over the new income limit as well. These are families without income from a job.  

However, these parents may still qualify for HUSKY coverage but under a different category, such as pregnant women coverage (263% of FPL, e.g., $52,837 for a family of three). They may remain eligible for full or limited HUSKY coverage if, for example, they 1) have breast or cervical cancer, or tuberculosis, 2)are blind or disabled; 3) have recently turned 65, 4) have very high medical bills, or 5) need family planning services.

These parents and caretaker relatives will be given an opportunity to notify the HUSKY program that they fit into another HUSKY coverage category before their coverage ends.  

If they no longer qualify for HUSKY coverage under any category then they may qualify for commercial insurance through Access Health CT. (It is possible to be enrolled in limited HUSKY coverage, such as family planning, and also qualify for commercial coverage through AHCT). Families are likely to be eligible for subsidies through AHCT to help pay for premiums, co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs to purchase this insurance. DSS and AHCT are supposed to work together to make the transition as smooth as possible for the affected families.

Children in the affected families remain covered under HUSKY A so long as family income stays below 201% FPL. The children will not be moved to another HUSKY coverage category and they should not receive a termination notice. We have revised the HUSKY Tip sheet we distributed at the June Covering Kids & Families meeting to reflect this information.

Along with the notice about the change in income eligibility level for parents, families will receive a hearing request form. If a family disagrees with the information in the notice, for example, because their income is below 155% FPL, they should immediately request a hearing. So long as the family requests the hearing within ten days of the notice they can keep their HUSKY coverage pending the outcome of the hearing.   

For questions about eligibility, contact Access Health CT at (855) 805-4325.

For problems, contact Legal Services at (800) 453-3320.