LCO No. 10332 1 of 4
General Assembly Bill No. 6687
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 10332
Referred to Committee on No Committee
Introduced by:
REP. RITTER M., 1
st
Dist.
SEN. LOONEY, 11
th
Dist.
AN ACT CONCERNING ME DICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CHILDREN AND
ADULTS WITHOUT HEALT H CARE COVERAGE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17b-261 of the general statutes is amended by 1
adding subsection (l) as follows (Effective October 1, 2021): 2
(NEW) (l) On and after January 1, 2022, the Commissioner of Social 3
Services shall, within available appropriations, provide medical 4
assistance to any child eight years of age and younger, regardless of 5
immigration status, whose household income does not exceed two 6
hundred one per cent of the federal poverty level without an asset limit. 7
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2022) On or after April 1, 2022, the 8
Commissioner of Social Services, shall, within available appropriations, 9
provide medical assistance for postpartum care for twelve months after 10
birth to a woman without legal immigration status whose household 11 Bill No.
LCO No. 10332 2 of 4
income does not exceed two hundred sixty-three per cent of the federal 12
poverty level. 13
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 17b-292 of the general statutes is 14
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 15
1, 2022): 16
(a) A child who resides in a household with household income 17
[which] that exceeds one hundred ninety-six per cent of the federal 18
poverty level [and] but does not exceed three hundred eighteen per cent 19
of the federal poverty level may be eligible for benefits under HUSKY 20
B. The Commissioner of Social Services shall, within available 21
appropriations, provide medical assistance to any child eight years of 22
age and younger, regardless of immigration status, with a household 23
income that exceeds two hundred one per cent of the federal poverty 24
level but does not exceed three hundred twenty-three per cent of the 25
federal poverty level. 26
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2022) As used in this section, 27
"unborn child option" means a state option available under the 28
Children's Health Insurance Program pursuant to Title XXI of the Social 29
Security Act, as amended from time to time, that allows states to 30
consider an unborn child a low-income child eligible for coverage of 31
prenatal care if other conditions of eligibility under the Children's 32
Health Insurance Program are met. Not later than April 1, 2022, the 33
Commissioner of Social Services shall provide medical assistance for 34
prenatal care through the unborn child option under the medical 35
assistance program established pursuant to section 17b-292 of the 36
general statutes. The commissioner shall amend the state plan for the 37
Children's Health Insurance Program to provide such medical 38
assistance. 39
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Commissioner of Social 40
Services, in consultation with the Office of Health Strategy and the 41
Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange established pursuant to section 42
38a-1081 of the general statutes, shall develop four-year plans to phase 43 Bill No.
LCO No. 10332 3 of 4
in medical assistance for (1) income-eligible children ages nine to 44
eighteen, inclusive, regardless of immigration status, and (2) adults with 45
household income not exceeding two hundred per cent of the federal 46
poverty level who do not currently qualify for medical assistance due to 47
household income. 48
(b) The plan to provide medical assistance to income-eligible children 49
ages nine to eighteen, inclusive, shall include, but not be limited to: (1) 50
The age groups that would be provided medical assistance in each fiscal 51
year commencing on July 1, 2022, and appropriations necessary to 52
provide such assistance, (2) income eligibility criteria and health care 53
coverage consistent with the medical assistance programs established 54
pursuant to sections 17b-261 and 17b-292 of the general statutes, and (3) 55
recommendations for identifying and enrolling such children in a 56
medical assistance program. 57
(c) The plan for expanding medical assistance coverage for adults 58
with household income not exceeding two hundred per cent of the 59
federal poverty level shall include, but not be limited to: (1) Household 60
income caps for adults who would be provided medical assistance in 61
each fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2022, and appropriations 62
necessary to provide such assistance, (2) health care coverage consistent 63
with the medical assistance programs established pursuant to section 64
17b-261 of the general statutes and the HUSKY D program as defined in 65
section 17b-290 of the general statutes, and (3) recommendations for 66
identifying and enrolling such adults in a medical assistance program. 67
(d) Not later than January 1, 2022, the commissioner shall report, in 68
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 69
on provisions of the plans to the joint standing committees of the 70
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to 71
appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, human services and 72
insurance and real estate. 73
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Bill No.
LCO No. 10332 4 of 4
Section 1 October 1, 2021 17b-261
Sec. 2 January 1, 2022 New section
Sec. 3 January 1, 2022 17b-292(a)
Sec. 4 January 1, 2022 New section
Sec. 5 from passage New section