SB 980 — AN ACT ELIMINATING INCOME AND ASSET LIMITS FOR THE MED-CONNECT PROGRAM FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

Senate General Assembly RaisedFile Bill No.

980517 January Session, 2021 LCOSenate Bill No.

4264980 ReferredSenate, toApril 19, 2021 The Committee on HUMANHuman SERVICESServices Introducedreported by:through SEN.

(HS)MOORE ANof ACTthe ELIMINATING22nd INCOMEDist., ANDChairperson ASSETof LIMITSthe FORCommittee THEon MED-the CONNECTpart PROGRAMof FORthe PERSONSSenate, WITHthat DISABILITIES.the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT ELIMINATING INCOME AND ASSET LIMITS FOR THE MED- CONNECT PROGRAM FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

(1) That the person be engaged in a substantial and reasonable work effort as determined by the commissioner and as permitted by federal law and have an annual adjusted gross income, as defined in Section 62 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequentSB980 corresponding/ internalFile revenue code of the United States, LCO 4264 \\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-00980-R01 of 3 SB.docx Raised Bill No.

980517 as1 amendedSB980 fromFile timeNo. to time, of no more than seventy-five thousand dollars per year;

517 subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, of no more than seventy-five thousand dollars per year;

LCOSB980 4264/ {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2021SB-009802File of 3 R01-SB.docx } Raised Bill No.

980517 This2 actSB980 shallFile takeNo. effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

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Section 1 July 1, 2021 17b-597 HS Joint Favorable SB980 / File No.

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517 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 22 $ FY 23 $ Social Services, Dept.

GF - Cost See Below See Below Note:

GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill results in a cost to the Department of Social Services (DSS) associated with eliminating the income and asset requirements for purposes of eligibility for Medicaid for Employees with Disabilities (MED-Connect).

While the number of individuals who would become eligible under the bill is unknown, the average cost per person is approximately $575 per month.

There are approximately 4,000 individuals currently enrolled in MED-Connect.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to program enrollment levels and associated costs.

Sources:

Department of Social Services Caseload Information SB980 / File No.

517 4 SB980 File No.

517 OLR Bill Analysis SB 980 AN ACT ELIMINATING INCOME AND ASSET LIMITS FOR THE MED- CONNECT PROGRAM FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

SUMMARY This bill eliminates the income and asset limits for Medicaid for Employees with Disabilities (MED-Connect).

By law, unchanged by the bill, enrollees must (1) be engaged in substantial and reasonable work effort as determined by the Department of Social Services (DSS) and as permitted by federal law and (2) pay a premium based on their countable income over 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL).

(In 2021, 200% of the FPL is $25,760 for an individual and $34,840 for a family of two.) Additionally, the bill requires DSS to post required notices of its intention to adopt regulations on the eRegulations system rather than in the Connecticut Law Journal.

It also makes technical changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2021 BACKGROUND Medicaid for Employees with Disabilities MED-Connect provides full Medicaid coverage to employed individuals who have a medically certified disability or blindness and are working for taxable wages.

(Self-employed individuals must pay self-employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service in order to qualify.) The program’s current income limit is $75,000 per year, and the current asset limit is $10,000 for an individual and $15,000 for a married couple.

COMMITTEE ACTION Human Services Committee SB980 / File No.

517 5 SB980 File No.

517 Joint Favorable Yea 17 Nay 2 (03/31/2021) SB980 / File No.

517 6