Not right away. Individuals with a renewal due in January 2027 (for a new coverage period starting February 1, 2027) do not need to meet the HUSKY D work rules because their renewal will have been initiated in December 2026, prior to implementation. The first cohort of HUSKY D members that will be subject to HUSKY D work rules will be those who have a renewal due in February (with new coverage period starting March 1, 2027).

CT has elected to require at least 1 month of compliance at renewal, with the look back period being the months since their last determination. 
 
For members renewing for the first time in 2027 that means they would have to have met the work rules or be deemed compliant due to an exemption in any one of the prior 12 months. Once a person has been switched to a 6-month renewal, DSS will be looking for compliance in the prior 6 months (since their prior renewal). 
 
In 2027, CT has opted to accept self-attestation where allowable for both activity compliance and exemption (only exclusion from self-attestation is the VA exemption).
 
Example: A HUSKY D member due for their first renewal in February 2027 will have to demonstrate at least one month of compliance or exemption in the prior 12 months. At their next renewal, in August 2027, they will need to demonstrate at least one month of compliance or exemption in any month since March 2027.

DSS will attempt to use existing diagnoses and claims data to automatically identify individuals who fit the exemption criteria of medically frail at both application and renewal. If DSS is unable to find information that demonstrates medical frailty, the individual may have to provide information from a medical provider that they have a qualifying condition that significantly impairs their ability to work or participate in community engagement. 

• Qualifying conditions include blindness; active substance use; a disabling mental disorder; physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities; or a serious or complex medical condition. 

In 2027, individuals can self-attest that they have a qualifying condition that significantly impairs their ability to meet the work rules. This means they do not need to provide documentation if they do not have it readily available. However, self-attestation can only be accepted once during a person's enrollment in 2028 and later, and they will need to provide documentation if DSS is unable to find diagnoses or claims in the data that the agency already has. More information will be made available on required documentation closer to 2028.

 

If the person is enrolled in a qualifying education program AT LEAST half time, they are meeting the work rules.  

• Half time is defined by the institution and is not a specific number of hours or credits. If the student is enrolled at least half time, they do not have to report specific hours or meet the 80-hour minimum, just show proof of half-time enrollment.  
• Qualifying programs include: 
  • institutions of higher learning like universities, colleges, community and technical colleges, and specialized institutes like art conservatories, medical centers, or technical institutes. 
  • A program of career and technical education as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 like technical high school programs operated by Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS) 
  • High school (HS)  
  • A state-approved program of study leading to a certificate of HS equivalence (such as GED) 
    
    

If the student is enrolled LESS THAN half time, they can count their education toward meeting the 80 hours, in combination with other work, volunteer, or training activities. In this scenario, the students’ hours will need to be converted from credit hours to hours for community engagement that meet the work rules. See the table below for these conversions. 

For programs that don't use credit hours, the hours spent in class and participating in educational activities (like training or a lab) will count towards meeting the 80 hours for the work rules. 

 

Qualifying work training programs include:  

• A program under title I of WIOA. WIOA authorizes career services, job training and education programs and services for eligible youth and adults. Visit 211 Connecticut for WIOA Programs in your area. 
• A program under section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974. In CT these programs are coordinated by American Job Centers
• SNAP E&T or other employment and training program approved by the Governor other than supervised job search or job search training program 
• An employment and training program for veterans operated by U.S. DOL or VA and approved by the Secretary of the USDA
• A workforce partnership under subsection (d)(4)(N) of section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. In Connecticut this is CTPathways. 

SNAP E&T programs that include supervised job search or job search training can count towards meeting the work rules, but the job search activities must account for less than half of the required hours and cannot be the primary component of the employment and training program. 

Job search activities that are conducted for unemployment insurance, that are consistent with the requirements of the program, can also count toward meeting the work rules. 

For help finding work training programs, see the links to local and federal resources on this page: Help meeting work rules  

Qualifying work training programs include: 

• A program under title I of WIOA. WIOA authorizes career services, job training and education programs and services for eligible youth and adults. Visit 211 Connecticut for WIOA Programs in your area. 
• A program under section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974. In CT these programs are coordinated by American Job Centers 
• SNAP E&T or other employment and training program approved by the Governor other than supervised job search or job search training program 
• An employment and training program for veterans operated by U.S. DOL or VA and approved by the Secretary of the USDA 
• A workforce partnership under subsection (d)(4)(N) of section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. In Connecticut this is CTPathways. 
• SNAP E&T programs that include supervised job search or job search training can count for up to half (40 hours) of the hours needed to meet the work rules. 

Job search activities that are conducted for unemployment insurance, that are consistent with the requirements of the program, can also count toward meeting the work rules. 

For help finding work training programs, see the links to local and federal resources on this page: Help meeting work rules  

If the type of course that the person is enrolled in does not meet the criteria for a work training program above, they may still be able to count their hours as education. Please see the next question for more information on education and meeting the work rules

To be exempt from the HUSKY D work rules, a veteran must have a total, or 100%, disability rating, which may be permanent or temporary, OR a Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) rating as determined by the VA. If the veteran does not have one of these ratings, they will be evaluated for all of the other exemptions available. If none apply, they will then need to meet the work or community engagement rules to continue receiving HUSKY D. 

If someone has been recently released from incarceration, the individual would be evaluated for all of the exemptions available. This would include the exemption for being incarcerated in the 3 months prior to when DSS checks for work rules compliance, and for any job training programs that may include employment search.  

If no exemptions apply, they will then need to meet the work or community engagement rules to continue receiving HUSKY D.  

Employment search alone is not a qualifying exemption. It must be part of a larger employment training program. See the Vocational Training question for more information on job search and the work rules. 

Individuals who were in foster care under the responsibility of the State upon turning 21 are exempt from work rules until they reach age 26. Former foster care youth are often eligible for a specific type of coverage until they turn 26 other than HUSKY D, therefore the work rules do not apply to them. If an individual is on HUSKY D and is under age 26 and was in foster care when they turned 21, contact Access Health CT to report this and get switched to the correct HUSKY coverage. 

Individuals currently attending a DMHAS approved drug or alcohol treatment or rehabilitation program, excluding NA or AA, are exempt from the Medicaid work rules. If the individual was in a DMHAS substance use or rehabilitation program in the month they apply/renew or in any one of the 6 months before they renew, they would meet this exemption.  

An individual could qualify as medically frail if they have a substance use disorder that impairs their ability to meet the work rules. They must have been in recovery for less than 5 years to get this type of medically frail exemption. If the individual was in a DMHAS substance use or rehabilitation program in the month they apply/renew or in any one of the 12 months before, they would meet this exemption. 

If the DMHAS program was inpatient, individuals recently admitted for inpatient care at a hospital, nursing facility, services in an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities, or inpatient psychiatric hospital services, or other similar services would be exempt and could get a short-term hardship exception. They would need to apply for this short-term hardship exception in the same calendar month that they received inpatient care. 

If the adult brother and the child under 14 years old are in the same SNAP household (purchase and prepare meals together), the adult brother would be exempt from the ABAWD time limit.  

See the SNAP Policy Manual for more information: Exemptions from Time Limits 

Yes, if there is a child in the home under 14 years old, and they are all on the SNAP together, the partner would also be exempt from the ABAWD time limit.   

Under SNAP's ABAWD (Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents) rules, anyone who is living in the same SNAP household (purchase and prepare meals together) as a child under the age of 14, is exempt from the ABAWD work requirement and the three-month time limit. This applies whether the adult is the child's parent, guardian, sibling, or another unrelated adult in the household. 

For SNAP, a veteran receiving disability benefits, regardless of rating, is exempt from the work rules. 

H.R.1 requires states to contribute to the cost of SNAP benefits based on SNAP Quality Control (QC) Payment Error Rates (PER) if their SNAP payment error is 6% or above.

If the SNAP PER is:

• 6% to 7.99%, then the state will have to contribute 5%
• 8% to 9.99%, then the state will have to contribute 10%
• 10% or more, the state will have to contribute 15%

The change to state contributions for SNAP Payment Error Rates begins October 1, 2027.

H.R.1 phases down the "safe harbor" level for taxes for most provider types, for states like Connecticut that expanded Medicaid.

Provider taxes will phase down from the current 6% to 3.5% over the five federal fiscal years (FY) as follows:

• 5.5% for FY 2028
• 5% for FY 2029
• 4.5% for FY 2030
• 4% for FY 2031
• 3.5% for FY 2032

The enhanced premium tax credits that provide additional subsidies for members who qualify are pending a decision by Congress on an extension. When additional subsidies sunset, the state will incur increased costs to maintain Covered CT as a no-cost to members program.

The enhanced premium tax credits are scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2025.

There is no impact to benefits for the member as a result of this change.