AN ACT EXPANDING MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES.

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 329
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 1649

Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES

Introduced by:
(HS)

AN ACT EXPANDING MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR OLDER ADULTS
WITH DISABILITIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 17b-261 of the 2026 supplement to 1
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 3
(a) Medical assistance shall be provided for any otherwise eligible 4
person (1) whose income, including any available support from legally 5
liable relatives and the income of the person's spouse or dependent 6
child, is not more than one hundred fifty -nine per cent, pending 7
approval of a federal waiver applied for pursuant to subsection (e) of 8
this section, of the benefit amount paid to a person with no income 9
under the temporary family assistance program, and (2) if such person 10
is an institutionalized individual as defined in Section 1917 of the Social 11
Security Act, 42 USC 1396p(h)(3), and has not made an assignment or 12
transfer or other disposition of property for less than fair market value 13
for the purpose of establishing eligibility for benefits or assistance under 14
this section. Any such disposition shall be treated in accordance with 15
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Section 1917(c) of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 1396p(c). Any 16
disposition of property made on behalf of an applicant or recipient or 17
the spouse of an applicant or recipient by a guardian, conservator, 18
person authorized to make such disposition pursuant to a power of 19
attorney or other person so authorized by law shall be attributed to such 20
applicant, recipient or spouse. A disposition of property ordered by a 21
court shall be evaluated in accordance with the standards applied to any 22
other such disposition for the purpose of determining eligibility. The 23
commissioner shall establish the standards for eligibility for medical 24
assistance at one hundred fifty-nine per cent of the benefit amount paid 25
to a household of equal size with no income under the temporary family 26
assistance program. In determining eligibility, the commissioner shall 27
not consider as income United States Department of Veterans Affairs -28
administered Aid and Attendance pension benefits that are granted to a 29
veteran, as defined in section 27 -103, or the surviving spouse of such 30
veteran, or, on and after July 1, 2026, benefits received under Title II of 31
the Social Security Act by a disabled adult child who meets the criteria 32
set forth in 42 USC 402(d)(1)(G) . Except as provided in section 17b -277 33
and section 17b -292, the medical assistance program shall provide 34
coverage to persons under the age of nineteen with household income 35
up to one hundred ninety -six per cent of the federal poverty level 36
without an asset limit and to persons under the age of nineteen, who 37
qualify for coverage under Section 1931 of the Social Security Act, with 38
household income not exceeding one hundred ninety-six per cent of the 39
federal poverty level without an asset limit, and their parents and needy 40
caretaker relatives, who qualify for coverage under Section 1931 of the 41
Social Security Act, with household income not exceeding one hundred 42
thirty-three per cent of the federal poverty level without an asset limit. 43
Such levels shall be based on the regional differences in such benefit 44
amount, if applicable, unless such levels based on regional differences 45
are not in conformance with federal law. Any income in excess of the 46
applicable amounts shall be applied as may be required by said federal 47
law, and assistance shall be granted for the balance of the cost of 48
authorized medical assistance. The Commissioner of Social Services 49
shall provide applicants for assistance under this section, at the time of 50
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application, with a written statement advising them of (A) the effect of 51
an assignment or transfer or other disposition of property on eligibility 52
for benefits or assistance, (B) the effect that having income that exceeds 53
the limits prescribed in this subsection will have with respect to 54
program eligibility, and (C) the availability of, and eligibility for, 55
services provided by the Connecticut Home Visiting System, 56
established pursuant to section 17b-751b. For coverage dates on or after 57
January 1, 2014, the department shall use the modified adjusted gross 58
income financial eligibility rules set forth in Section 1902(e)(14) of the 59
Social Security Act and the implementing regulations to determine 60
eligibility for HUSKY A, HUSKY B and HUSKY D applicants, as defined 61
in section 17b -290. To the extent permissible under federal law, the 62
Commissioner of Social Services shall disregard all United States 63
Department of Veterans Affairs -administered non -service-connected 64
pension benefits, Aid and Attendance pension benefits and 65
Housebound pension benefits that are granted to a veteran or the 66
surviving spouse of such veteran when determining income eligibility 67
for HUSKY A and HUSKY D applicants. Persons who are determined 68
ineligible for assistance pursuant to this section shall be provided a 69
written statement notifying such persons of their ineligibility and 70
advising such persons of their potential eligibility for one of the other 71
insurance affordability programs as defined in 42 CFR 435.4. 72
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 17b-261(a)

HS Joint Favorable
APP Joint Favorable