Changes to Medicaid are coming, and Democrats say they will be bad for seniors.
U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-5) was in New Haven on Monday to outline the new requirements for older adults.
People 65 and older are exempt from the work requirements that will likely make millions of people ineligible for Medicaid. However, DeLauro said they will be subject to a shorter retroactive coverage policy.
“So if it takes longer than 60 days for someone's eligibility to be verified, and that's not a pipe dream, that happens, it's so common in the cases of people who struggle with dementia who lack a legal guardian, the patient and the family then will be solely responsible for any cost covered or incurred during that period of time,” DeLauro said.
Officials have warned that new paperwork requirements and eligibility checks could also discourage people from enrolling in Medicaid.
Beverly Kidder, with the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut, said that less preventive healthcare means more people go to the emergency room, where they can’t deny patients who can’t pay. That raises insurance premiums for everyone.
She’s particularly worried about eligibility changes to the Medicaid waiver that allows people to age at home. Policy renewals will be required twice a year instead of once, which can be challenging for patients, especially with debilitating memory illnesses.
“When you take this away, the only thing that will happen is they will revert to institutional care,” Kidder said. “And who is that going to affect? Each and every one of us who pays taxes in this country. Because of that, uncompensated care is either paid for by taxes or by insurance. Insurance rates will go up, and those of us who are fortunate enough to have insurance will pay more.”
The new rules are scheduled to begin in 2026.
Some Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have defended the changes. They maintain that Medicaid is not being cut, and the people who lose coverage should not have been receiving it in the first place.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill protects and strengthens Medicaid for those who rely on it—pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families—while eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse,” a White House fact sheet on H.B. 1, which includes the changes, reads. “The One Big Beautiful Bill removes illegal aliens, enforces work requirements, and protects Medicaid for the truly vulnerable.”
