Hartford, CONN. (April 14, 2026)– More than 168,000 Connecticut residents are projected to lose their health coverage over the next decade as a result of federal Medicaid work requirements and other changes set to take effect in 2027. To minimize coverage losses, the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) is developing a communications strategy to reach those impacted by the upcoming changes. This project is supported by a $125,000 grant from the Connecticut Health Foundation.
Starting January 1, 2027, certain adults will be required to prove that they work, go to school, participate in job training, or volunteer for at least 80 hours a month to stay covered by HUSKY, Connecticut’s Medicaid program. Research shows that two-thirds of non-elderly, non-disabled adults covered by HUSKY already work, but administrative burdens related to proving that they meet the requirements can cause many people to lose coverage even if they still qualify.
The grant funding supports DSS’s work to develop a communications strategy to try to eliminate confusion about these new requirements and help people identify if they will be affected and what they need to do to stay covered. The goal is to prevent the upcoming changes from widening racial and ethnic health disparities by helping people stay covered. DSS will also create a toolkit that can be used by community organizations, health care providers, public libraries, and other trusted messengers to explain the changes.
“We have seen from other states that work requirements created barriers for people to maintain their health coverage, even when they still qualified for it,” said Tiffany Donelson, president and CEO of the Connecticut Health Foundation. “Connecticut must learn from those experiences and do everything possible to ensure that state residents can navigate the new federal requirements and stay covered. The lives of Connecticut residents depend on how we work together to minimize coverage losses.”
“The urgency of this work cannot be overstated. Work requirements will be implemented January 1, 2027, and without proactive intervention, we risk undoing years of progress in closing coverage gaps for communities of color,” DSS Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves said. “We are committed to transparency in sharing our learnings — both successes and challenges — to benefit the entire field and inform advocacy for more equitable policy implementation.”
The grant to DSS is one of nine awarded by the Connecticut Health Foundation during the first quarter of this year, totaling $345,000. The grantees are:
Advocacy to defend Medicaid coverage and access
These organizations will focus on advocacy efforts to preserve and protect Medicaid coverage in Connecticut. This will be done by conducting outreach to expand the base of people advocating for Medicaid, education on the importance of Medicaid, gathering and sharing stories of those affected by changes to coverage, and engaging and providing opportunities for those new to health care advocacy.
- Connecticut Citizen Research Group, Hartford: $30,000
- Connecticut For All Justice Fund, Hartford: $30,000
- Connecticut Legal Services, Middletown: $30,000
- Connecticut Voices for Children, New Haven: $30,000
- Health Equity Solutions, Hartford: $50,000
- She Leads Justice, Hartford: $30,000
President’s discretionary grants
President’s discretionary grants are awarded to organizations and institutions that respond to the foundation’s overall mission or priority areas.
Community Health Center Association of Connecticut, Cheshire: $10,000
This grant will support a research project to gather data on how federal policy changes are affecting patients of federally qualified health centers. Medicaid cuts, unstable federal funding, and executive orders targeting immigrant populations have created confusion and uncertainty for patients. Data collected will be shared with policymakers to help inform decisions, with a goal of protecting access to care.
Hartford Hospital, Hartford: $10,000
This funding will support a Black Maternal Health Week event providing health information and resources for Greater Hartford residents. The event will include onsite health screenings, community conversations focused on women’s health, and tools to navigate the health system and empower attendees to prioritize their health.
For more information, please contact Gaby Molina at gaby@cthealth.org or 860-724-1580 x 133.