Many caregivers in Connecticut who qualify for Medicaid will need to take additional steps to keep or renew their benefits once new rules go into effect for the program next year.
A law passed by Congress imposes new work requirements for many Medicaid recipients beginning in January. However, there are several exemptions, including for certain people who care for children under 14 or people with disabilities.
Because of the changes, many caregivers in Connecticut who have HUSKY D Medicaid coverage will need to complete an attestation next year if their renewal is due after January 2027. The requirement also applies to caregivers seeking new Medicaid benefits through HUSKY D, which serves low-income adults in Connecticut.
Ellen Andrews, executive director of the Connecticut Health Policy Project, a consumer advocacy organization, said the group has been working to get the word out about the caregiving exemption because many people might not realize they have to take action under the new federal rules.
“It's so important that they keep their healthcare, that they find time to take care of themselves and take care of their mental health as well," Andrews said. "Doing that without coverage is really hard.”
Connecticut Department of Social Services Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves said the state will share more information toward the end of December about the process for Medicaid enrollees to document exemptions online through Access Health CT.
“But as of this moment, no one needs to do anything,” Barton Reeves said.
The caregiver self-attestation for 2027 will require checking a box in the online portal or telling Access Health CT over the phone you are eligible, DSS spokesperson Christine Stuart said.
The state is awaiting guidance from federal partners at the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services about documentation caregivers will need to submit for 2028, Stuart said.
Who is exempt
Starting Jan. 1, 2027, people 19 to 64 with HUSKY D plans will need to satisfy work or community engagement requirements to receive coverage, unless they qualify for an exemption under the new law.
The caregiver exemption is available to parents, guardians, caretaker relatives or family caregivers of a person with a disability or a child younger than 14, according to an interim rule implementing the new law.
Barton Reeves said there are multiple ways to qualify, including if the caregiver lives with a person who they assist with activities of daily living or other needs, such as transportation and ensuring bills are paid.
“We don't want to disrupt the network and the supports that people have who are at home and those who are providing them care because that's even more deleterious than a strict interpretation of what caregiving might be like,” Barton Reeves said.
Another way to get an exemption, Barton Reeves said, is if a caregiver doesn’t live with someone they provide regular care for, but the person receiving assistance is related.
“Let's say, for example, you have a child with a disability,” Barton Reeves said. “They may live in a group home, or they have a roommate, but they still require you to come over every day to make sure that their meals are prepared, or they're preparing themselves to get off to their vocational activities or their recreational activities.”
People who care for someone who isn't a relative and lives in another place may still be eligible for the exemption if they provide at least 80 hours of assistance per month that isn't solely incidental. Working fewer hours can still help recipients satisfy the law's work and community engagement requirement when paired with other activities.
For example, Barton Reeves explained, some caregivers might go to a recipient's home two or three times a week because that person has a higher level of independence.
“But it's less generous in terms of the number of hours that you can use to meet the community engagement requirement,” Barton Reeves said. Then those hours can be combined with work, volunteering and school to meet the requirements.
More information is available online from DSS at medicaidmattersct.org.
