Substitute Bill No. 205 proposes amendments to Section 17b-597 of the general statutes, which will take effect on July 1, 2024. The bill aims to modify the Med-Connect Program for employees with disabilities by adjusting income and asset limits. The bill stipulates that individuals with disabilities who are regularly employed can qualify for medical assistance under the Medicaid state plan. The amendments include an increase in the annual adjusted gross income limit from no more than seventy-five thousand dollars to not more than eighty-five thousand dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Additionally, the asset limit for an unmarried person will be raised from ten thousand dollars to twenty thousand dollars, and for a married couple, from fifteen thousand dollars to thirty thousand dollars for the same fiscal year. Other provisions include disregards for certain types of income and savings, as well as a contribution requirement for countable income exceeding two hundred percent of the federal poverty level.

Furthermore, the bill outlines a phase-out of income and asset limits for program participants over four fiscal years starting July 1, 2025. This phase-out will incrementally increase the income limit by ten thousand dollars annually and the asset limit by ten thousand dollars for an unmarried person and fifteen thousand dollars for a married couple each year. By July 1, 2028, there will be no income or asset limits for eligibility in the program. The Commissioner of Social Services is tasked with implementing necessary policies and procedures to carry out the provisions of this section, with the notice of intent to adopt regulations to be posted on the eRegulations System in accordance with section 17b-10. The commissioner will also define "countable income" to include impairment-related work expenses as defined in the Social Security Act. These policies and procedures will remain valid until final regulations are effective.

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Raised Bill:
HS Joint Favorable Substitute Change of Reference: