WEEKLY UPDATE: 10/08/26
On Thursday, October 1, an estimated 3,200 noncitizens in Connecticut lost Medicaid insurance coverage due to changes in federal eligibility rules, according to the Department of Social Services (DSS). HUSKY Health is Connecticut’s Medicaid program.
The following noncitizens are no longer eligible for HUSKY Health (Medicaid): refugees, asylees, and parolees, victims of trafficking, victims of domestic violence, and Afghan or Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa holders. Lawful permanent residents, Cuban/Haitian entrants, and Compacts of Free Association (COFA) citizens remain eligible. The October 1 noncitizen Medicaid eligibility change has no impact on lawfully present children in HUSKY A and B or on state-funded programs (State HUSKY A for kids or State Postpartum coverage).
This population also will not be eligible for subsidized plans through Access Health CT starting January 1, 2027.
Noncitizens will continue to be covered by Emergency Medicaid for qualifying emergency services.
“But [emergency Medicaid] does not provide the comprehensive coverage these individuals have today,” ” Mark Schaefer, vice president of system innovation and financing, Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA), told Connecticut Public. “Services that do not qualify for emergency Medicaid, including nonemergent emergency department and hospital outpatient care, could contribute to increased uncompensated care.”
Schaefer emphasized that hospitals will continue to care for patients who need services, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. In an interview with Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra, Schaefer explained that federally qualified community health centers (FQHCs) can also provide routine medical care to those who lose Medicaid coverage.
Connecticut hospitals remain concerned that new federal policies restricting access to Medicaid and subsidized coverage on the health insurance exchange will leave more people uninsured and increase uncompensated care. The short- and long-term impacts on hospitals will emerge over time, as coverage losses translate into changes in how and when patients seek care. Rising uncompensated care will put additional strain on hospitals and the patients and communities that depend on them.
Resources for noncitizens affected by federal eligibility changes to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are available on DSS’s website here, and on Access Health CT’s website here.
The federal changes in noncitizen eligibility are separate from the new HUSKY D work requirements taking effect in January 2027.
Related News:
Thousands of refugees, asylees and others lose Medicaid, but CT has safety nets | Connecticut Public
Miles de inmigrantes enfrentan cambios a su cobertura de Medicaid | Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra
Noncitizen Medicaid Eligibility Changes Take Effect Next Week
