Healthcare (Medicaid)

in committee · Connecticut · House Apr 7, 2026

HB 5480: AN ACT CONCERNING PEER SUPPORT SERVICES UNDER THE MEDICAID PROGRAM.

This bill requires the state Medicaid program to pay for peer support services, which are recovery-focused behavioral health services provided by individuals with lived experience in mental illness or substance use recovery. Starting July 1, 2026, the Commissioner of Social Services must update Medicaid rules to include these services in care teams and begin reimbursing certified peer support specialists for their work. The law also mandates a report by August 1, 2027, detailing how many specialists receive payment, how many Medicaid enrollees they serve, and any treatment outcome data collected from their services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates Medicaid reimbursement for peer support services, expanding mental health coverage and funding behavioral health care access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Mental Health Substance Abuse

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in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SB 482: AN ACT CONCERNING LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT OF MEDICAID WAIVERS, MEDICAID STATE PLAN AMENDMENTS AND OTHER FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS.

This bill requires Connecticut's Department of Social Services to seek legislative committee approval before submitting Medicaid waiver applications or state plan amendments to the federal government. The legislation mandates that joint standing committees review these proposals within 30 days, hold public hearings, and provide approval, denial, or modifications before the commissioner can submit them federally. Additionally, the bill requires the department to publish advance notices in the Connecticut Law Journal and online, allowing 30 days for public written comments on proposed changes. If committees fail to respond within the 30-day review period, the waiver or amendment is automatically approved. The bill also requires the commissioner to notify committees annually about potential Medicaid waivers that could save state money.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill strengthens oversight of Medicaid programs, ensuring legislative review before federal submissions, protecting public health funding and access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

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in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SB 495: AN ACT EXPANDING THE MEMBERSHIP AND STUDY FOCUS OF THE LONG-TERM CARE PLANNING COMMITTEE.

This bill establishes a Long-Term Care Planning Committee to develop a comprehensive plan for long-term care services in Connecticut, affecting individuals who need care and the agencies that provide it. The committee will create a plan that integrates home and community-based services, supportive housing, and nursing facilities, ensuring people can choose the least restrictive care setting appropriate for their needs. The committee will study financing options, workforce issues, federal funding gaps, and data on Medicaid spending between nursing homes and community-based services. It will also include representatives from various state agencies, employee organizations, and retiree groups, and must submit annual reports with findings and recommendations to the legislature.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes committee to develop comprehensive long-term care plan, improving access to home/community services and nursing facilities while studying financing and workforce issues.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Medicaid

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passed · Connecticut · Senate Apr 22, 2026

SB 401: AN ACT CONCERNING A BRIDGE PROGRAM TO ALLOW ACCESS TO FOOD, HOUSING AND HEALTH CARE BENEFITS.

This bill establishes a state-funded bridge program designed to help vulnerable individuals maintain access to food, housing, and healthcare benefits while they transition through changes in federal work requirements. The program would target veterans, homeless persons, adults with autism, foster care aging out, and older adults at risk of losing Medicaid or nutrition assistance, requiring state agencies to develop a plan by October 2026. Key provisions include supplementing existing job support programs, providing temporary state-funded assistance equivalent to current benefits, recommending long-term housing solutions, and documenting employability for potential federal waivers. The plan must be submitted to legislative committees by January 2027 along with funding estimates and implementation timelines.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes state-funded bridge program to maintain access to essential benefits, indicating increased funding for public services and support for vulnerable populations.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes state-funded bridge program to maintain healthcare benefits access for vulnerable populations during federal work requirement transitions.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill establishes state-funded bridge program to help vulnerable individuals maintain access to housing benefits and prevent homelessness during federal work requirement transitions.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill establishes state-funded bridge program specifically targeting veterans to maintain access to food, housing, and healthcare benefits during federal work requirement transitions.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Homelessness

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passed · Connecticut · House May 2, 2026

HB 5482: AN ACT CONCERNING TWELVE-MONTH COVERAGE FOR CONTRACEPTION AND HORMONE THERAPY.

This bill requires health insurance plans and Medicaid to cover a twelve-month supply of prescription contraception and hormone therapy at one time, effective January 1, 2027. It applies to individuals with private insurance and Medicaid enrollees, allowing them to receive up to one year of medication and administration supplies in a single dispensation unless they or their provider request less. The law excludes certain drugs like glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists from hormone therapy coverage and permits health plans to use standard drug management rules, including limiting refills near the end of a plan year if the full supply was already provided.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates insurance coverage for contraception and hormone therapy, expanding access to essential healthcare services and protecting patient rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Medicaid Women's Health

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signed · Connecticut · Senate Jun 2, 2026

SB 429: AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION.

This bill updates how the state calculates reimbursement for ambulance services under Medicaid, specifically changing how out-of-district mileage is measured. Starting July 1, 2026, the Department of Social Services will base payments on the actual distance traveled with the patient onboard, rounded to the nearest tenth of a mile, rather than using fixed town-to-town rates. Ambulance providers can use GPS data, navigation systems, or mapping programs to document mileage and must keep trip reports with patient details and pickup and destination addresses in their records. The change aims to ensure reimbursement reflects actual service costs while maintaining flexibility for providers to choose verification methods.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill increases Medicaid reimbursement for ambulance services by using actual mileage, improving provider compensation and potentially enhancing emergency medical transport access.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 21, 2026

SB 433: AN ACT EXPANDING LONG-TERM CARE OPTIONS.

This bill directs the Connecticut Department of Social Services to rebalance its long-term care strategy to increase home and community-based care options for Medicaid recipients and low-income individuals who currently do not qualify for Medicaid. The law requires the department to develop a strategic plan that considers regional aging trends, service gaps, and provider quality, with a specific goal of expanding access to home care for people earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level. Additionally, the bill establishes a requirement for the Long-Term Care Planning Committee to study methods for expanding these care options and submit a report by December 2026 that includes estimated cost savings from reducing reliance on skilled nursing facilities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands long-term care options and increases access to home care for Medicaid recipients and low-income individuals, strengthening healthcare services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Medicaid

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in committee · Connecticut · House Feb 9, 2026

HB 5091: AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS AND HUSKY C ASSET LIMITS.

HB 5091 changes eligibility for Connecticut's medical assistance program by requiring undocumented immigrants to have lived in the state for at least one year and applied for legal immigration status to qualify. It also increases asset limits for the HUSKY C Medicaid program to $5,000 for single individuals and $7,500 for married couples. The bill directly affects undocumented residents seeking medical aid and low-income households enrolled in HUSKY C. These changes aim to target state medical assistance toward residents meeting specific residency and immigration status criteria.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill increases asset limits for HUSKY C Medicaid, expanding coverage for low-income households. Restriction on undocumented immigrants is a minor, separate provision; overall expansion advances healthcare access.85% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationRequires undocumented immigrants to reside 1 year and apply for legal status for medical aid, restricting access to services.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

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in committee · Connecticut · House Apr 7, 2026

HB 5040: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.

HB 5040 updates cash assistance rates for the state's general assistance program, setting monthly payments at $269 for unemployable individuals, $200 for transitional people paying shelter costs, and $50 for others not paying shelter. It creates a new "working persons with disabilities" Medicaid program allowing disabled workers earning under $85,000 annually to qualify for medical assistance, with asset limits of $20,000 for singles and $30,000 for couples, plus specific income disregards. The bill also modifies drug formulary rules to require prior authorization for nonpreferred drugs (except mental health drugs filled recently) and excludes antiretroviral drugs from preferred lists. These changes directly affect low-income residents, disabled workers seeking Medicaid, and Medicaid patients using prescription drugs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new Medicaid funding and adjusts assistance rates within state budget, directing resources to health/social services per Governor's recommendations.92% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates new Medicaid program for disabled workers under $85k income, expanding healthcare access and coverage through asset limits and income disregards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Mental Health Prescription Drugs Tags People with Disabilities

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in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 27, 2026

SB 331: AN ACT CONCERNING STEP THERAPY REQUIREMENTS FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS COVERED UNDER THE MEDICAID PROGRAM AND REQUIRED NOTICE TO ENROLLEES OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG PAYMENT SUSPENSIONS, DENIALS OR IMPOSITION OF NEW REQUIREMENTS.

This bill modifies Medicaid prescription drug coverage rules by changing step therapy requirements. It mandates that step therapy (requiring patients to try lower-cost drugs first) follow manufacturer and FDA guidelines when available. If no such guidelines exist, step therapy cannot exceed 30 days, after which prescribing doctors may bypass the requirement if they determine the initial treatment is ineffective for the patient. The bill directly affects Medicaid patients and their healthcare providers, streamlining access to prescribed medications under the Medicaid program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareModifies step therapy to allow faster access to alternative treatments after 30 days, improving patient access without unnecessary delays in Medicaid coverage.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Prescription Drugs

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