AN ACT EXPANDING EMERGENCY MEDICAID COVERAGE.

Senate
SB327 / File No. 460 1

General Assembly File No. 460
February Session, 2026 Senate Bill No. 327

Senate, April 7, 2026

The Committee on Human Services reported through SEN.
LESSER of the 9th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the
part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT EXPANDING EMERGENCY MEDICAID COVERAGE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section, (1) 1
"emergency medical condition" means a medical condition, including 2
emergency labor and delivery, manifesting itself by acute symptoms of 3
sufficient severity, including severe pain, such that the absence of 4
immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in 5
(A) placing the patient's health in serious jeopardy, (B) serious 6
impairment to bodily functions, or (C) serious dysfunction of any bodily 7
organ or part; and (2) "emergency Medicaid coverage" means Medicaid 8
coverage for treatment of an emergency medical condition. 9
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall expand emergency 10
Medicaid coverage consistent with federal law for treatment of 11
emergency medical conditions, including, but not limited to, emergency 12
medical conditions related to (1) a high-risk pregnancy, (2) diabetes type 13
1 in persons under the age of twenty -one, (3) diabetic emergencies, 14
including, but not limited to, diabetic ketoacidosis, (4) renal failure 15
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requiring ongoing dialysis, (5) fracture of a bone in the skull, arm, neck, 16
leg, spine or pelvis occurring in the two-month period prior to a request 17
for emergency Medicaid coverage, (6) hypertensive emergencies 18
involving persons presenting with signs or symptoms of end organ 19
damage and systolic blood pressure equaling or exceeding one hundred 20
eighty or diastolic blood pressure equaling or exceeding one hundred 21
twenty, (7) unstable seizure disorder characterized by at least five 22
minutes of uncontrollable seizures or at least two discrete seizures 23
between which the person does not regain consciousness, (8) active 24
treatment for cancer related to a current diagnosis, (9) ventilator 25
dependency, (10) labor and delivery, and (11) acute inpatient or 26
outpatient psychiatric treatment. 27
(c) Not later than July 1, 2027, the commissioner shall establish an 28
administrative system for persons to apply in advance for emergency 29
Medicaid coverage for emergency medical conditions that can be 30
treated in outpatient settings rather than in hospital emergency 31
departments. The commissioner shall include a prominent link to the 32
application and a list of covered emergency medical conditions on the 33
Internet web site of the Department of Social Services. The 34
commissioner shall also include information about advance 35
applications for emergency Medicaid coverage and a list of covered 36
emergency medical conditions in department forms and policy 37
manuals. 38
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 New section

HS Joint Favorable

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The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Social Services, Dept. GF - Cost at least
$250,000
See Below
Resources of the General Fund GF - Revenue
Gain
at least
$125,000
See Below
Note: GF=General Fund

Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill results in a cost to the Department of Social Services (DSS)
associated with expanding coverage of emergency Medicaid services
and requiring DSS to establish an administrative system for individuals
to apply in advance for emergency Medicaid coverage by 7/1/27.
DSS will incur administrative costs of at least $250,000 in FY 2 7 to
establish a registration system for individuals with qualifying
emergency medical conditions that can be treated in outpatient settings
rather than in hospital emergency departments. These costs are
anticipated to be eligible for federal reimbursement, resulting in a
federal grants revenue gain of at least $125,000.
The fiscal impact of expanding the definition of emergency medical
condition cannot be determined at this time. For context, the state
currently spends approximately $30 million on emergency Medicaid
services (representing a 50% share of total expenditures), which are
generally emergent in nature and include outpatient dialysis for
individuals with end -stage renal disease. E mergency Medicaid
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coverage is available to all individuals, regardless of immigration status,
who meet Medicaid income and asset limits.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to the utilization and coverage of
services under emergency Medicaid.

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OLR Bill Analysis
SB 327

AN ACT EXPANDING EMERGENCY MEDICAID COVERAGE.

SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Social Services (DSS)
commissioner to expand, in a way consistent with federal law, Medicaid
coverage for treating emergency medical conditions (emergency
Medicaid, see BACKGROUND). Under the bill, an “emergency medical
condition” is a medical condition, including emergency labor and
delivery, with acute symptoms severe enough that it can be expected to
result in the following without treatment:
1. placing the patient’s health in serious jeopardy,
2. serious impairment to bodily functions, or
3. serious dysfunction of an organ or body part.
The bill lists several conditions that must qualify for emergency
Medicaid coverage under the expansion.
The bill also requires the DSS commissioner, by July 1, 2027, to create
an administrative system for people to apply in advance for emergency
Medicaid coverage for outpatient treatment for emergency medical
conditions. The commissioner must include (1) a link to the application
and list of covered emergency medical conditions on the DSS website
and (2) information about advance applications for emergency
Medicaid and a list of covered conditions in DSS forms and policy
manuals.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2026
EMERGENCY MEDICAL CONDITIONS
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Under the bill, DSS’s emergency Medicaid expansion must include
coverage for the following conditions to the extent allowed by federal
law:
1. high-risk pregnancy;
2. type 1 diabetes in people under age 21;
3. diabetic emergencies, including diabetic ketoacidosis;
4. renal failure requiring ongoing dialysis;
5. a skull, arm, neck, leg, spine, or pelvis fracture that occurred in
the two-month period before an emergency Medicaid request;
6. hypertensive emergencies in people with symptoms of end organ
damage and systolic blood pressure of at least 180 or diastolic
blood pressure of at least 120;
7. unstable seizure disorder with at least five minutes of
uncontrollable seizures or at least two discrete seizures where the
person does not regain consciousness between them;
8. active cancer treatment;
9. ventilator dependency;
10. labor and delivery; and
11. acute inpatient or outpatient psychiatric treatment.
BACKGROUND
Emergency Medicaid Coverage
Under current state policy, emergency Medicaid coverage is
generally limited to treatment after the sudden onset of a medical
emergency. It does not cover treatment for chronic conditions, even if
the condition may be life threatening. Emergency Medicaid c annot be
preapproved, and instead a bill for emergency treatment is submitted to
DSS for review.
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However, federal law gives states flexibility to define what
treatments or conditions qualify for emergency Medicaid coverage
within the parameters of the “emergency medical condition” definition
above. For example, in 2021 DSS determined that ongoing dial ysis for
end stage renal disease qualifies for emergency Medicaid coverage
because without dialysis, the condition will likely become a medical
emergency.
Emergency Medicaid allows hospitals to receive federal Medicaid
reimbursement for care that may otherwise be uncompensated. Any
person, regardless of immigration status, can qualify for emergency
Medicaid coverage if he or she meets Medicaid income and asset limits.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Human Services Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 16 Nay 7 (03/19/2026)