Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Medicaid Eligibility topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances bill to raise asset limit for Husky C beneficiaries amid fiscal concerns
Summary
The Aging Committee moved House Bill (LCO 5800) to be referred to the Joint Fiscal Committee after debate over potential costs. Sponsors say indexing asset limits addresses a decades-old disparity; critics warned the price tag could be large and urged caution pending a fiscal note.
The Aging Committee on Tuesday, March 4, voted to refer to the Joint Fiscal Committee (JFS) House Bill LCO 5800, a measure that would change asset limits used to determine eligibility for Husky C benefits.
The bill was moved to JFS by Representative Hughes. Debate centered on whether the state can afford the expansion: Representative Case said he would vote no and cited previous fiscal estimates, saying the cost had been put at “anywhere from 1,400,000,000.0 to $4,000,000,000,” and that the committee must prioritize current rate increases before adding a program expansion.
Senator Wong said the measure was a fairness issue and noted the existing $1,600 Husky C asset threshold “has not changed since 1973.” He said committee leadership had substituted language tying the limit to cost‑of‑living indexing rather than setting a one‑time higher dollar amount and urged colleagues to watch the fiscal note.
Supporters framed the change as incremental rather than sudden. Representative Nolan said he would support moving the bill forward to learn more in later discussions. Opponents emphasized the size of the potential fiscal impact and the need to await a formal fiscal note from the Office of Fiscal Analysis.
The clerk called the roll on the referral to JFS; the committee left votes open until 1:00 p.m., per the record.
Why it matters: Husky C is Connecticut’s Medicaid program category for certain long‑term services and supports; changing asset tests affects who qualifies for subsidized long‑term care costs and can have large budget implications.
The committee record shows the motion to refer the bill to the Joint Fiscal Committee and related debate; final appropriations decisions will be made after the fiscal review and further floor or committee action.
