Senate Bill No. 1151 seeks to amend the Connecticut General Statutes to improve the income eligibility criteria for public assistance programs for veterans and their surviving spouses. The bill proposes to disregard all United States Department of Veterans Affairs-administered non-service-connected pension benefits, Aid and Attendance pension benefits, and Housebound pension benefits when determining eligibility for programs such as Medicare savings, medical assistance, and energy assistance. This change aims to prevent veterans from being penalized in their eligibility due to the receipt of these specific benefits. Additionally, the bill modifies income disregards for the federal Qualified Medicare Beneficiary, Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary, and Qualifying Individual programs, allowing more individuals to qualify based on their income levels, and eliminates the asset test for the Medicare Savings Program. The bill also mandates that the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) provide written information to applicants regarding how property dispositions and income limits affect their eligibility. Furthermore, it includes provisions for the DSS to seek necessary amendments to the state Medicaid plan or waivers from federal law to implement these changes. The effective date for these amendments is set for July 1, 2025, applying to applications filed on or after that date. The anticipated fiscal impact of these changes is significant, with an estimated cost of approximately $4.4 million in FY 26 and $8 million in FY 27 if all eligible individuals utilize the new income disregard provisions.

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