Today’s post is by guest contributor, Rosana Garcia, policy associate at the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut
Nope, you don’t have deja vu.
Like last year, Medicaid (HUSKY) is threatened by cuts as policymakers try to balance CT’s budget. There are new proposed cuts to Medicaid (HUSKY) in Governor Malloy’s second budget, released this month. Some of the cuts include:
- Cutting Medicaid eligibility for HUSKY A parents down to 138% of the federal poverty level — this would add 8,700 people to the already 18,000 who lost HUSKY/Medicaid coverage in last year’s budget
- 10% reduction in Medicaid reimbursement rates for children’s dental services
- Elimination of supplemental funding for federally qualified health centers (FQHC’s), which serve low-income and uninsured adults and children
While some will argue that parents who lose coverage can simply purchase insurance on the exchange, we know that this can be a hardship for economically fragile families. They already struggle to make ends meet — these cuts will make it even harder for them to care for their families.
Learn more:
Fact sheet on HUSKY A parents proposed cuts from LARCC (Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut) and Connecticut Legal Services
CT Health Foundation breaks down the potential consequences of reducing eligibility for HUSKY A parents in this policy brief
Connecticut Voices for Children also goes into detail about how these and previous cuts will impact low-income families in this policy brief
Advocates Decry Proposed Cuts to Health, Dental Services (CT NewsJunkie)
Critics: Proposed Children’s Dental Cut Threatens CT’s Turnaround (CT Mirror)