State tracker

Connecticut — Medicaid Coverage Retention

Applies Last updated 2026-06-03 · confidence: high

Connecticut is subject to federal Medicaid community-engagement/work-requirement implementation beginning January 1, 2027, unless modified by future federal or state guidance.

Procurement / RFP activity

Open RFP

Two relevant open solicitations are posted on the CT Dept. of Social Services (DSS) procurement page as of 2026-06-03: (1) "RFQ 03.06.2026 Communication Services Related to Healthcare" (open, 1 addendum) — a healthcare-communications quotation that aligns with DSS's effort to build a Medicaid/HUSKY change-communications strategy, though the publicly viewable listing does not by itself confirm the scope is exclusively the H.R.1 work-requirement outreach campaign; and (2) "CT SNAP HR1 Enhancements RFQ" (open, addendum 09.30.2025) — explicitly covers eligibility-system enhancements for work requirements and exemptions for SNAP and HUSKY (Medicaid). Portal: DSS RFP/RFQ page (portal.ct.gov/dss). No separately announced statewide paid-media advertising RFP/award for the work-requirement member campaign was found; DSS's communications-strategy development is currently grant-funded ($125,000 CT Health Foundation). Confirm exact scope/deadline of the Communication Services RFQ via the DSS portal addendum, as the PDF could not be parsed directly.

Procurement portal: CT DSS RFP/RFQ page (portal.ct.gov/dss/fiscal/request-for-proposals---quotations---applications); statewide CTsource Bid Board run by DAS (portal.ct.gov/das/ctsource/bidboard) · Implementation funding: DSS Medicaid work-requirement communications strategy currently funded by a $125,000 grant from the Connecticut Health Foundation. State implementation/administration cost estimate for H.R.1 work requirements (Medicaid + SNAP) is $20M-$50M state share; ~168,000 CT residents projected to lose coverage over the decade.

Latest detail

H.R.1/OBBBA Medicaid (HUSKY D expansion adults 19-64) work requirements take effect in Connecticut January 1, 2027, requiring 80 hours/month of qualifying activity or ~$580/month income; CMS issued its implementing interim final rule (CMS-2454-IFC) on June 1, 2026. DSS (the state Medicaid administrator) is actively analyzing impacts and building a communications/outreach strategy and a toolkit for community organizations, providers, and libraries, seeded by a $125,000 Connecticut Health Foundation grant. On the procurement side, DSS has an open "Communication Services Related to Healthcare" RFQ (dated 03.06.2026) and an open "CT SNAP HR1 Enhancements" RFQ covering eligibility-system work-requirement/exemption changes for SNAP and HUSKY. No vendor award for a statewide work-requirement member outreach/advertising contract had been publicly identified as of 2026-06-03. UPDATE as of 2026-07-05: DSS now estimates roughly one-third of the ~316,000 HUSKY D recipients — about 110,000 people — are at risk of losing coverage under the new rules (CT Mirror, June 17, 2026); DSS has published an online toolkit and is partnering with regional community action agencies (CT Association for Community Action hotline) and the CT Hospital Association on member education. No new communications/outreach solicitation or vendor award was publicly verifiable as of 2026-07-05.

Medicaid expansion status	Expanded
Implementation status	Planning / communications strategy in development for Jan 1, 2027; state may seek good-faith-effort delay (potentially to 2029)
Who may be affected	Yes — expansion adults
Reporting frequency	Pending state guidance
Reporting method	Pending state guidance
Renewal cadence	Every 6 months for expansion adults (H.R.1)
Notice timing	Pending state guidance
Self-attestation allowed?	Pending state guidance
State system / vendor	Pending state guidance
Major Medicaid MCOs	Pending state guidance
Languages likely needed	Pending state guidance

Key exemption categories to monitor

80 hours/month of work, job training, education, or community service — or qualifying monthly income.
Targets many ACA Medicaid expansion adults (19–64); non-expansion states largely have no such group.
Federal enforcement: January 1, 2027 (states implement; some earlier).
New: expansion adults redetermine every 6 months (not annually).
Commonly-defined exemptions: pregnancy/postpartum; medically frail; primary caregiver; disability; SUD treatment; certain students; tribe (AIAN); short-term hardship. Exact definitions set by CMS rule and each state.

Short-term hardship exemptions to track

Short-term hardship exemptions — adoption pending state guidance.

Member communication risk

Risk detail pending.

What MCOs & state partners should do now

Segment affected members
Identify likely exemptions
Send plain-language multilingual notices
Deploy SMS/email/IVR reminders
Track retention outcomes

Operating in Connecticut?

The member-notice window is open now and closes August 31, 2026. Complete a Coverage Retention Readiness Audit while there is still time to act — we build CMS-compliant, plain-language, multilingual outreach to keep eligible Connecticut members enrolled.

Request a Coverage Retention Audit

Frequently asked

Who is subject to Medicaid work requirements in Connecticut?

Many ACA Medicaid expansion adults ages 19–64 who do not qualify for an exemption. Final scope is set by CMS rule and state implementation.

When do Connecticut Medicaid work requirements start?

Federal enforcement begins January 1, 2027 (some states may implement earlier). Member notices are expected in the federally-required window of June 30–August 31, 2026.

What exemptions are available?

Federal baseline categories include parent/caretaker of a child under 14, pregnant/postpartum, disabled/medically frail, American Indian/Alaska Native, and those already meeting SNAP/TANF work rules. Short-term hardship exemptions and exact definitions are set by CMS rule and state implementation.

Sources

This page tracks publicly available implementation information and is updated as Connecticut publishes guidance. State-specific rules are evolving. Not legal or eligibility advice.