SB 82 — AN ACT ELIMINATING INCOME AND ASSET LIMITS FOR THE MED-CONNECT HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR WORKING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

Senate General Assembly FileSubstitute Bill No.

482 January Session, 2023 SubstituteAN SenateACT BillELIMINATING No.INCOME AND ASSET LIMITS FOR THE MED- CONNECT HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR WORKING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

82 Senate, February 28, 2023 The Committee on Human Services reported through SEN.

LESSER of the 9th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT ELIMINATING INCOME AND ASSET LIMITS FOR THE MED- CONNECT HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR WORKING 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 sSB82defined /in FileSection No.62 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any 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;

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4 defined in Section 62 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any 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;

(3) for an unmarried person,LCO an\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-00082-R01 asset limit of ten3 thousandSB.docx dollars,Substitute andBill forNo. a married couple, an asset limit of fifteen thousand dollars;

82 person, an asset limit of ten thousand dollars, and for a married couple, an asset limit of fifteen thousand dollars;

sSB82Sec. / File No.

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4 Sec.

The Commissioner of Social Services shall seek a waiver from federal law to permit a person participating in the program established under sectionLCO 17b-597,{\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-00082 asof amended3 byR03-SB.docx this} act,Substitute toBill remainNo. eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program in the event such person is unable to maintain a work effort for involuntary reasons.

82 section 17b-597, as amended by this act, to remain eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program in the event such person is unable to maintain a work effort for involuntary reasons.

sSB82APP /Joint FileFavorable No.LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2023SB-00082-3 of 3 R03-SB.docx }

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4 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 24 $ FY 25 $ Note:

GF=General Fundt.

GF - Cost See Below See Below Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill results in a cost to the Department of Social Services (DSS) associated with eliminating the annual income limit ($75,000) and asset limit ($10,000 for individuals and $15,000 for married couples) for purposes of eligibility for MED-Connect.

The number of individuals eligible under the bill's expansion is unknown.

The cost is driven by (1) the number of individuals able to remainontheprogramwhootherwisewouldexceedtheincomeorasset limit over time, (2) the number of newly-eligible individuals whose income or assets are above the current threshold, and (3) the income level of those above 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL, $29,160 annually for a household of one) who would pay a premium to partially off-set their costs.

For context, there are approximately 3,700 individuals enrolled in the program, 950 of which make more than 200% FPL and have a premium obligation.

The average state Medicaid cost per person is approximately $3,800 annually.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to inflation.

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4 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 82 AN ACT ELIMINATING INCOME AND ASSET LIMITS FOR THE MED- CONNECT HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR WORKING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

SUMMARY This bill expands eligibility for Medicaid for Employees with Disabilities (MED-Connect, see BACKGROUND) by eliminating the program’s income and asset limits.

Specifically, the bill eliminates the MED-Connect program’s current annual income limit of $75,000 and its asset limit of $10,000 for individuals and $15,000 for married couples.

By law, unchanged by the bill, enrollees must (1) be engaged in a 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).

Additionally, the bill codifies current practice by requiring DSS to post required notices of its intent to adopt regulations on the eRegulations system, rather than in the Connecticut Law Journal.

It also makes several technical and conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2023 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.