HB 5480, An Act Concerning Peer Support Services Under The Medicaid Program

TESTIMONY OF THE CONNECTICUT HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
SUBMITTED TO THE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) appreciates this opportunity to submit testimony concerning HB 5480, An Act Concerning Peer Support Services Under The Medicaid Program.  CHA supports this bill.

Connecticut hospitals make our state stronger by delivering nationally recognized, world-class care, supporting jobs and economic growth, and serving communities across Connecticut.  Every day, hospitals improve access, affordability, and health equity — providing care to all patients regardless of ability to pay.  At the same time, hospitals invest in their workforce and local communities, even as they navigate significant financial and federal challenges.

CHA is pleased to support HB 5480, which aims to reimburse peer support specialists.  Development and support of a robust behavioral healthcare continuum workforce can help extend the reach of care teams, especially in high-demand behavioral health environments.  Peer support specialists can quickly expand the behavioral health workforce, particularly during a time when Connecticut faces shortages in licensed behavioral health professionals.

Individuals serving in these roles bring lived experience with recovery, which can create powerful connections with patients and often allows for engagement in less acute settings, supporting earlier intervention.  This model of care supports respectful, recovery-oriented services that recognize the value of lived experience.  Peer support services can also help patients navigate complicated healthcare and social service systems, strengthening continuity of care after discharge, enhancing community connections, and helping to reduce costly readmissions.  Peer support specialists can also serve as an important bridge between hospital care, crisis response services such as the 988-crisis line, mobile crisis teams, and long-term community-based recovery supports.

CHA recognizes that peer support specialists complement clinical services but do not replace licensed providers.  These trained team members can increase support capacity for patients without requiring lengthy clinical training pathways, allowing licensed clinicians to focus on the most complex clinical needs in acute care settings.

To ensure program integrity, peer support specialists should meet consistent training and certification requirements to maintain quality across programs.  Additionally, Medicaid reimbursement policies should be carefully designed to ensure high-quality standards, adequate payment rates, clear billing structures, and administrative feasibility for providers.  Thoughtful implementation considerations will help ensure that the benefit is both usable and sustainable.

CHA stands ready to work with policymakers and stakeholders to ensure peer support services are implemented in a way that strengthens Connecticut’s behavioral health continuum and supports high-quality, coordinated care.

Thank you for your consideration of our position.  For additional information, contact CHA Government Relations at (203) 294-7301.