Connecticut SB 329: AN ACT EXPANDING MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES.

Bill Text

LCO 1649 
 
1 of 3 
  
General Assembly  
Raised Bill No. 329  
February Session, 2026 
 
LCO No. 1649 
 
 
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES  
 
 
Introduced by:  
(HS)  
 
 
 
AN ACT EXPANDING MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR OLDER ADULTS 
WITH DISABILITIES.  
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 17b-261 of the 2026 supplement to 1 
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2 
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 3 
(a)  Medical  assistance  shall  be  provided  for  any  otherwise  eligible 4 
person (1) whose income, including any available support from legally 5 
liable  relatives  and  the  income  of  the  person's  spouse  or  dependent 6 
child,  is  not  more  than  one  hundred  fifty-nine  per  cent,  pending 7 
approval  of  a  federal  waiver  applied  for  pursuant  to  subsection  (e)  of 8 
this  section,  of  the  benefit  amount  paid  to  a  person  with  no  income 9 
under the temporary family assistance program, and (2) if such person 10 
is an institutionalized individual as defined in Section 1917 of the Social 11 
Security  Act,  42  USC 1396p(h)(3),  and  has  not  made  an  assignment  or 12 
transfer or other disposition of property for less than fair market value 13 
for the purpose of establishing eligibility for benefits or assistance under 14 
this  section.  Any  such  disposition  shall  be  treated  in  accordance  with 15 

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Section  1917(c)  of  the  Social  Security  Act,  42  USC  1396p(c).  Any 16 
disposition  of  property  made  on  behalf  of  an  applicant  or recipient  or 17 
the  spouse  of  an  applicant  or  recipient  by  a  guardian,  conservator, 18 
person  authorized  to  make  such  disposition  pursuant  to  a  power  of 19 
attorney or other person so authorized by law shall be attributed to such 20 
applicant,  recipient  or  spouse.  A  disposition  of  property  ordered  by  a 21 
court shall be evaluated in accordance with the standards applied to any 22 
other  such  disposition  for  the  purpose  of  determining  eligibility.  The 23 
commissioner  shall  establish  the  standards  for  eligibility  for  medical 24 
assistance at one hundred fifty-nine per cent of the benefit amount paid 25 
to a household of equal size with no income under the temporary family 26 
assistance  program.  In  determining  eligibility,  the  commissioner  shall 27 
not  consider  as  income  United  States  Department  of  Veterans  Affairs-28 
administered Aid and Attendance pension benefits that are granted to a 29 
veteran,  as  defined  in  section  27-103,  or  the  surviving  spouse  of  such 30 
veteran, or, on and after July 1, 2026, benefits received under Title II of 31 
the Social Security Act by a disabled adult child who meets the criteria 32 
set forth in 42 USC 402(d)(1)(G). Except as provided in section 17b-277 33 
and  section  17b-292,  the  medical  assistance  program  shall  provide 34 
coverage to persons under the age of nineteen with household income 35 
up  to  one  hundred  ninety-six  per  cent  of  the  federal  poverty  level 36 
without  an  asset  limit  and  to  persons  under  the  age  of  nineteen,  who 37 
qualify for coverage under Section 1931 of the Social Security Act, with 38 
household income not exceeding one hundred ninety-six per cent of the 39 
federal poverty level without an asset limit, and their parents and needy 40 
caretaker relatives, who qualify for coverage under Section 1931 of the 41 
Social Security Act, with household income not exceeding one hundred 42 
thirty-three per cent of the federal poverty level without an asset limit. 43 
Such  levels  shall  be  based  on  the  regional  differences  in  such  benefit 44 
amount, if applicable, unless such levels based on regional differences 45 
are  not  in  conformance  with  federal  law.  Any  income  in  excess  of  the 46 
applicable amounts shall be applied as may be required by said federal 47 
law,  and  assistance  shall  be  granted  for  the  balance  of  the  cost  of 48 
authorized  medical  assistance.  The  Commissioner  of  Social  Services 49 
shall provide applicants for assistance under this section, at the time of 50 

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application, with a written statement advising them of (A) the effect of 51 
an assignment or transfer or other disposition of property on eligibility 52 
for benefits or assistance, (B) the effect that having income that exceeds 53 
the  limits  prescribed  in  this  subsection  will  have  with  respect  to 54 
program  eligibility,  and  (C)  the  availability  of,  and  eligibility  for, 55 
services    provided    by    the    Connecticut    Home    Visiting    System, 56 
established pursuant to section 17b-751b. For coverage dates on or after 57 
January  1,  2014,  the  department  shall  use  the