An estimated 108,000 Medicaid HUSKY D members in Connecticut are at risk of losing coverage when new work requirements go into effect Jan. 1, 2027, according to the state.
A new interactive map from DataHaven, a nonprofit in New Haven, estimates how federal changes under H.R. 1 — championed by the Trump administration as the One Big Beautiful Bill — would affect HUSKY D and Access Health CT enrollees in every Connecticut town.
The map shows towns with high risk of Husky D members projected to lose coverage: 7,695 members in Hartford; 7,391 members in New Haven; 6,979 members in Waterbury, and 7,997 members in Bridgeport.
But every town is projected to suffer coverage losses: Stamford at 3,948 in the southwest; New London at 1,446 in the southeast; Torrington at 1,445 in the northwest; Killingly at 582 in the northeast; and New Britain at 3,770 in central Connecticut.
“Health care was already out of reach for too many families. This new report shows that Connecticut policy makers can and must address this crisis by providing new health insurance options, controlling the cost of care, and preventing medical debt,” Ayesha R. Clarke, executive director of Health Equity Solutions, a nonprofit advocacy group, said in a statement.
“This new report demonstrates why Connecticut policymakers should consider taking action now,” Andrew Carr, data analyst at DataHaven, said in a statement.
“While the newly elected majority in Congress might choose to reverse some of these cuts next year, those measures would not pass in time to prevent the impact of these federal cuts," Carr said.
More than 3,000 noncitizens, including refugees and asylees, lost HUSKY eligibility on Oct. 1 — mainly in Bridgeport, Waterbury, Hartford, and Danbury as a result of H.R. 1.
Smaller towns in western Connecticut have the highest shares of Access Health CT enrollees facing premium increases, according to DataHaven. Stamford residents alone are set to lose over $8 million in federal premium support in 2027.
The White House has argued the sweeping bill passed by Congress last year helps Americans by making tax cuts and a small business deduction permanent. Backers say the changes also eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in federally-funded healthcare programs, and support able-bodied Americans "as they find dignity through employment."
In general, the new rules apply to people aged 19-64 who can work and don't live with a child under 14.
People who care for a non-relative and live in another place may also be eligible for an exemption if they provide at least 80 hours of assistance per month that isn't solely incidental.
Connecticut’s nine Community Action Agencies offer help at no cost for people seeking to understand how the changes affect them, and steps they could take. The agencies can be found by town on medicaidmattersct.org, created by the state.
