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Connecticut Medicaid and the new work rules
HUSKY Health is Connecticut's Medicaid/CHIP brand. Adults are split across two lettered parts that people often confuse: HUSKY A covers parents and caretaker relatives of a minor child, and HUSKY D covers adults ages 19-64 who do not have a dependent child in the home — this is the ACA expansion group, and it is the group the new federal work requirement reaches. HUSKY C covers people who are aged, blind, or disabled. is run by Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) — the HUSKY Health program. Eligibility for the MAGI-based parts (HUSKY A, B, and D) is determined through Access Health CT, the state's ACA marketplace; HUSKY C (aged, blind, and disabled) is determined directly by DSS under non-MAGI rules. Connecticut expanded Medicaid on April 1, 2010 (retroactive date of Connecticut's initial low-income-adult expansion); converted to full ACA coverage at 133%/138% of the federal poverty level effective January 1, 2014 under state legislation (P.A. 13-184 and P.A. 13-234), which is why the new federal work requirement reaches this state — and why what you do before January 1, 2027 matters.
From January 1, 2027, most adults have to show 80 hours a month
The requirement applies to adults aged 19 to 64 covered through Medicaid expansion — around 316,000 people in Connecticut. It is not only about paid work: study, job training, volunteering and a mix of them all count , and earning at least $580 a month satisfies it on its own.
DSS checks available state data first — wage records, SNAP participation, Supplemental Security Income, and student status — and separately searched Medicaid claims data for diagnostic codes that could establish a medical frailty exemption. Members whose exemption or compliance cannot be confirmed from existing data will need to self-attest or document their hours directly.
If your hours swing from month to month, say so. The rule is written per month, which is the wrong shape for farm and fishing work, construction, tourism and seasonal retail — a good month and a dead month average out to a living, but the dead month is the one that fails. Federal law has a provision for exactly this: a seasonal worker can satisfy the requirement using their average monthly income over the previous six months instead of hours worked in the month being checked. It is at 42 CFR 435.552(a)(7), and the law defines who counts as seasonal by pointing at the tax code rather than listing jobs, so do not decide for yourself that it misses you. If your work is seasonal or your hours are irregular, tell the state that when you report, and ask for the six-month average to be used.
That is the state's own estimate of how many will lose coverage.
DSS's own estimates have moved as its analysis has been refined: a June 2026 analysis (reported by CT Mirror and the Connecticut Health Policy Project) put 110,000 of HUSKY D's 316,000 members (35%) at risk of losing coverage, with about 206,000 potentially exempt for medical frailty based on claims data. DSS's September 11, 2026 presentation to the Medical Assistance Program Oversight Council (MAPOC) refined this to about 108,000 at risk (34%) and about 208,000 likely exempt or already compliant (including about 130,000-133,000 for medical frailty, 94,000 with usable wage records, 45,000 who are SNAP beneficiaries, and 24,000 on Supplemental Security Income). DSS has cautioned that these estimates do not yet reflect the added effect of the CMS interim final rule's stricter two-part medical frailty test (a qualifying condition plus a 'significant impairment' of the ability to work), which could increase the at-risk count.
Most of that is expected to be paperwork rather than people becoming ineligible. Which is the whole reason to sort out your address and your proof now rather than at the last minute.
You do not have to prove anything if any of these describe you
Exemptions are meant to be applied by the state automatically from records it already holds, but records are imperfect. If one of these fits you and you still get asked to report hours, say so and ask them to check — don't assume the notice is right.
What you can earn and still qualify
Monthly income, before tax, for the whole household. These are the state's own published figures, which is what its caseworkers actually apply. If you are close to a line, apply anyway — some income does not count, and only the agency can run the calculation for your situation.
Adults 19 to 64138% of the poverty line
- 1 person
- $1,836
- 2 people
- $2,489
- 3 people
- $3,142
- 4 people
- $3,795
- 5 people
- $4,449
- 6 people
- $5,102
Parents and caretakersapproximately 138 (derived from the state's dollar table, which uses the same figures as HUSKY D shifted one household size; some older Connecticut legislative materials cite 160% for parents/caretaker relatives — see discrepancyNote)% of the poverty line
- 2 people
- $2,489
- 3 people
- $3,142
- 4 people
- $3,795
- 5 people
- $4,449
- 6 people
- $5,102
Pregnantapproximately 263 (derived)% of the poverty line
- 2 people
- $4,743
- 3 people
- $5,988
- 4 people
- $7,233
- 5 people
- $8,478
- 6 people
- $9,723
Source: Connecticut Department of Social Services, 'HUSKY Health Program Monthly Income Guidelines,' effective March 1, 2026. A note on precision: Connecticut's current income chart states only dollar ceilings, not FPL percentages, so the percentages above are this file's own back-calculation and are approximate. We publish the state figure.
Two other changes land on the same day
Renewals get more frequent, and back-dated coverage gets shorter.
P.L. 119-21 §71112, amending 42 U.S.C. §1396a(a)(34). Applies to applications submitted on or after January 1, 2027.
Do this now
Update your address and phone number first. Everything about the new rules arrives by mail, and a stale address is the most common reason people lose coverage they are still entitled to. Then check whether an exemption applies to you.
About the phone numbers: All three numbers were confirmed on current portal.ct.gov/dss, portal.ct.gov/husky, and accesshealthct.com pages. Call volume may run higher than usual in late 2026 and early 2027 as members call in about the new work requirement.
Deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired: 711 (Connecticut Relay); Access Health CT TTY line: 1-855-789-2428.
HUSKY Health provides free interpreter services in more than 100 languages, by phone, video — including American Sign Language — or in person, at no cost to members; just ask when you call, visit, or schedule an appointment. Written notices are also available in Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Chinese, Italian, French, Haitian Creole, Russian, and Arabic, and Access Health CT offers enrollment help and translated checklists in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Polish.
Most people who lose coverage lose it over paperwork, not eligibility
90% of the coverage losses recorded in Connecticut were procedural — a form, a deadline, or an address, rather than a real change in whether someone qualified. From January 1, 2027 that matters more, not less.
NOTICE OF ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION
Case number: ███████
Date of this notice: 1January 12, 2027
Our records do not show that you met the community engagement requirement for the reporting period.
2If you believe this is incorrect, or if an exemption applies to you, contact us on or before February 11, 2027.
3Coverage for other members of your household is not affected by this notice.
What the federal data says about coverage here
Public federal data describes how each state runs its program. Almost all of it is written for policy analysts. Here is what those numbers mean if you are the person enrolled.
Of people who lost coverage here, this share lost it over paperwork rather than eligibility.
Open every letter. Keep your address current with the agency.
Provider supply here is around the national middle. Nurse practitioners also need physician supervision in this state, which narrows your options further.
Book an appointment before you need one, not when you do.
Questions people ask about this
Do the new Medicaid work rules apply to me in Connecticut?
How many hours a month do I have to work?
Who is exempt from the work requirement in Connecticut?
When do the Connecticut work rules start?
What is the income limit for Connecticut Medicaid?
How do I apply for HUSKY Health is Connecticut's Medicaid/CHIP brand. Adults are split across two lettered parts that people often confuse: HUSKY A covers parents and caretaker relatives of a minor child, and HUSKY D covers adults ages 19-64 who do not have a dependent child in the home — this is the ACA expansion group, and it is the group the new federal work requirement reaches. HUSKY C covers people who are aged, blind, or disabled.?
How often do I have to renew Connecticut Medicaid?
Guides for neighboring states
The rules change completely at the state line. If you moved recently, or you're helping family somewhere else, start with their state rather than this one.
If you're one of Connecticut's roughly 316,000 HUSKY D members, DSS began texting, emailing, and mailing notices in September 2026 about the work requirement that starts January 1, 2027 — make sure your contact information is current with Access Health CT, and use the state's HUSKY D pre-screener now to check in advance whether the requirement or an exemption applies to you.
Updating your address takes two minutes and protects everything else. Do that first, then check the exemption list above.
Go to Access Health CT →