The proposed General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1151 seeks to amend the Connecticut General Statutes to improve the treatment of certain federal veterans' benefits in income eligibility determinations for public assistance programs. The bill mandates that the Commissioner of Social Services disregard all United States Department of Veterans Affairs-administered non-service-connected pension benefits, Aid and Attendance pension benefits, and Housebound pension benefits when assessing income eligibility for state programs such as Medicare savings, medical assistance, and energy assistance. This change aims to prevent veterans and their surviving spouses from being penalized in their eligibility for these essential services due to their receipt of federal benefits. Additionally, the bill proposes to eliminate the asset test for the Medicare Savings Program and increase income disregards for various Medicare beneficiary programs. Moreover, the bill introduces new eligibility standards for medical assistance, setting them at 159% of the benefit amount for a household of equal size with no income under the temporary family assistance program. It also requires that applicants receive written information regarding the impact of property disposition and income limits on their eligibility. The bill repeals and replaces specific subsections of the general statutes to align with these new provisions, particularly concerning income treatment for medical and fuel assistance programs. These changes will take effect on July 1, 2025, and will apply to applications filed on or after that date, with the Commissioner of Social Services responsible for implementing the new eligibility criteria.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
VA Joint Favorable:
File No. 280:
APP Joint Favorable: